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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27804436">You, a Scavenger (take my hand, melt my heart)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/no_big_deal/pseuds/no_big_deal'>no_big_deal</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad Puns, Banter, Ben buys Rey clothes, Ben gets drunk, Birds, Candy Canes, Carriage Rides, Christmas Tree Farms, Comedy, Drunkenness, Elf, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Finn is a Marine, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Food, French Kissing, Gingerbread Houses, Gingerrose - Freeform, Hiking, Holiday Cheer, Holidays, Hot Chocolate, Humor, Ice Skating, Leia's the Mayor and a Good Mom, Manhandling, Mistletoe, Mutual Pining, No Babies, No Pregnancy, Painting, Penguins, Peppermint Sticks, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Shopping Malls, Snowball Fight, Stormpilot, Surprise Gingerrose, Surprise Stormpilot, Toys for Tots, arts and crafts, candy shop, drunken proposals, expensive coffee, kissing under the mistletoe, reference to sobriety, send in the Marines, the Marines, two idiots/one brain cell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:20:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>22,719</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27804436</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/no_big_deal/pseuds/no_big_deal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ben Solo is conscripted by his mother, the Mayor, to help promote a holiday-themed scavenger hunt organized by earnest City Hall employee Rey Niima, he's determined to ignore the attraction he feels for the lovely civil servant--and she's not interested in dating her boss' son (even if he is chivalrous and sexy). But when the scavenger hunt turns out to be 12 romantic dates at small businesses all over town, will either Ben or Rey be able to resist the seductive pull of the holidays?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>171</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Reylo Christmas Hallmark AU Collection</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. You Had Me at 'Halo'</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you to the mods of the <a href="https://www.twitter.com/hallmarkreylo">Reylo Hallmark Christmas Collection</a> for this opportunity and organizing us all into a great supportive community for a month of fics! I can't wait to read what everyone brings to the table. </p><p>Many thanks to Rush, admin of the <a href="https://www.twitter.com/reylocreatives">Reylo Creatives</a> for encouraging me when I was feeling very down about this fic.  </p><p>And of course no note on any fic of mine would be complete without expressing a thousand thanks to <a href="https://www.twitter.com/noeticedda">Em</a> for her patience (omg so much patience) as I flailed about, blowing up her inbox with ridiculous title ideas, and helping me keep track of Ben and Rey's motivations at any given minute. You are a wonder and a gem.  Happy Holidays!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Freshly unemployed Ben Solo is volun-told by his mother, Mayor Leia Organa, to assist her up-and-coming employee Rey Niima with a holiday project, meant to showcase local small businesses in the city of Coruscant. He wants to turn her down--he's sure this is just Leia pulling his strings by setting him up with a lovely girl under the guise of doing her a favor at work--but, somehow, Ben and Rey end up going out on two dates: wine and painting at Maz's Wine &amp; Watercolors, and a winter hike up at the Mandalorian ski lodge.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This fic is loosely <em>oh so loosely</em> based on the 2020 Hallmark Channel movie <a href="https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/on-the-12th-date-of-christmas">On the 12th Date of Christmas</a>.  I did not watch this movie before writing this fic.</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Holiday music rang through the corridors of Coruscant City Hall as the maintenance crew began stringing white lights around the building’s art deco sconces and high-ceilinged corridors. Mayor Leia Organa took a sip of champagne as she reviewed her handwritten checklist of to-do items. The sounds of her staff busily planning festive community activities for the upcoming season echoed in her diamond-studded ears. She smiled slyly. There was only one item unchecked on her list and at this very moment, he was walking through her office door. </p><p>“Help me Obi-Wan Solo, you’re my only hope,” she wailed dramatically as her son shrugged off his dark grey peacoat, flecked with raindrops, and leaned down to kiss her cheek.</p><p>“Hello mother,” he chuckled, taking a seat across from her desk and helping himself to a mini candy cane. “I came as soon as I could, your message said it was urgent and it must be, if you're using my full name.”</p><p>“Benji,” Leia interrupted, clasping her hands on her desk blotter. Ben sat back, a slight look of alarm crossing his features as his mother stared him down. “You recall how up until last month you were a defense attorney employed by that odious slimeball John Snoke? CEO of First Order Pharmaceuticals?”</p><p>Ben sighed, his face impassive but for the merest twitch of his jaw. “Yes, mother.”</p><p>“And you recall how you unexpectedly, though quite nobly, quit his legal defense team prior to the trial prosecuting him for a needless price hike of medication for juvenile diabetics?”</p><p>He rubbed his eyebrow with his forefinger, wincing slightly. “Yes, mother.”</p><p>“And as a result, you’ve been unemployed for the last few weeks? With no one to turn to but me? Your long-suffering mother, who never gave up on you, even in your darkest hours, always willing to accept and welcome you home?”</p><p>Ben smiled at that and nodded. She was laying it on pretty thick, but she wasn’t entirely wrong. Anyway, hearing the facts recited to him like that didn’t hurt as much as they would have a few weeks ago. Working for Snoke had been a nightmare that had eaten away at his soul. Every day away from Snoke had taken weight off his shoulders, improved his mood, and brightened his outlook on life considerably. At least he'd kept in contact with Leia while he’d worked for that monster. She hadn't made it easy but she had always been there for him with a story to tell about events at City Hall to distract him from his Snoke-induced misery.</p><p>“You do know he’s going to find a way to keep messing with you?” she added, as if she weren’t doing the exact same herself.</p><p>Regardless, he dutifully responded, “Yes, mother,” and waited for the other shoe to drop.</p><p>“I need you to assist one of my team members. She’s running holiday events for the chamber of commerce, small businesses division.”</p><p>“I don't know anything about small business—”</p><p>She ignored him. “I already have a team of people organizing the family events like the North Pole Cruise, and the business development team is handling the corporate networking. That leaves the small business outreach-slash-romantic option with Rey Niima.”</p><p>“Romantic option? Mom, no.” </p><p>Leia blinked at him. “Why ever not?”</p><p>He held his hands up, the universal gesture for <em> stop. </em> “You've mentioned this woman to me <em> constantly </em>since you hired her last year. This is obviously a set up—”</p><p>“Oh, Benji, really. Rey is a consummate professional.”</p><p>“Yes, <em> really, </em>I don’t need anything complicating my life right now, so I’m not going to play nice—”</p><p>“You’re my <em> only </em> hope.” Leia sniffed nostalgically, her eyes glimmering as she gazed out the window into the cold and snowy night.</p><p>🕊️</p><p>“So it’s a holiday scavenger hunt, with riddles,” Rey explained as she dabbed some more paint on her brush and Ben took a long pull on his glass of red wine. “Anyone who goes on the dates suggested by the clues gets entered into the grand prize drawing. So we write hints, like <em> holidays are the time to express yourself, so grab a drink and a brush, you jolly elf.”  </em></p><p>Ben scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.” </p><p>Rey kept her focus on her canvas. “It doesn’t need to be Shakespeare, it just needs to get people to reserve a spot at Maz’s for a wine and painting night.”</p><p>Ben looked around at the empty space, rows of easels set up and waiting, the walls covered with extremely amateur art surrounding the large wine bar. He looked back at Rey, absorbed in her work, and said the first thing that came to mind.</p><p>“This doesn’t seem very fun.”</p><p>Rey blanched slightly, but turned her shoulders back towards her project. “It’s a shared artistic experience—I’ve heard—I mean, Maz <em> said </em> many people find it to be romantic.” Ben flinched at the wistful turn her voice had taken, but Rey swallowed and straightened her spine. “Mr. Solo, obviously you don’t <em> care </em> about this project the way I do, but I don’t need you to care. I just need you to be here and play your part. I’ll worry about getting couples to engage with the small businesses during the holidays.”</p><p>Ben shook his head, his wine glass balanced between two fingers as he spread his arms wide, unable to stop himself from continually rattling this overly earnest and unbelievably sweet girl’s cage. “Doesn’t this town have an <em> Adam and Eve? </em> You could just give out coupons—”</p><p>She rolled her eyes. <em> “Romantic, </em> Ben, don’t you know what that means? Anyway we're supposed to be supporting local businesses, not chains. We want people to go to places like Maz’s Wine &amp; Watercolors—” she dabbed her brush on the canvas one final time before setting down the paints and wiping her hands on her apron. “So we provide the clue on the City’s social media feeds, along with a picture of us looking like we’re having a good time doing the activity hinted at. Here, you hold the bottle of wine, I’ll hold the painting.”</p><p>Ben raised an eyebrow. “You can’t use that painting. No sense of perspective. Isn’t there another one we can use?” </p><p>Rey’s face twitched and his conscience dinged him for taking his teasing a little too far; that had been a rude thing to say. </p><p>But maybe <em> rude </em> was justified. He'd <em> told </em> Leia he didn’t want her meddling in his private life, but she’d guilted him into working on this project with her precious Rey Niima anyway. So here he was, on a fake date with this woman. He just didn’t want her to get the wrong idea, was all. Sure, she was cute. And sweet. And funny. Ben's inner caveman took one look at her delicate bone structure and roared to life, eager to protect and feed and make babies. </p><p>Okay, she was just his type, if you got right down to it. Still, he’d told Leia to butt out and she hadn’t; this was a set-up if he’d ever seen one. And Leia’s gifts usually came with a catch. So he’d be keeping Rey at arm’s length, if not further. On principle. He took another large gulp of wine. </p><p>Rey was still looking at her painting dejectedly. “I’ve never had art lessons—you know what, nevermind.” She angled the canvas slightly away from him with a frown.</p><p>“You know what? We can use it, sure we can.” Ben tried to sound apologetic. “But—what’s it supposed to be?” he teased, hoping to make her smile, moving around her obnoxiously as she turned away from him, keeping the painting in his line of sight. “I see a white void hovering over that green blob…”</p><p>Rey smacked his arm. “It’s the moon over Lake Alderaan.”</p><p>“That’s no moon.”</p><p>Rey laughed dryly at Ben’s monotone delivery and handed him the canvas. Digging through her tote bag she produced a cell phone, which she attached to the end of a retractable selfie stick and held it in front of her. </p><p>“Wow, paging 2015,” Ben chuckled as Rey sniffed, keeping her eyes on the camera. “Let’s get Maz to take the picture for us— Hey Auntie Maz!” he called across the studio and the diminutive woman poked her head out from behind her office door.</p><p>“Ben Solo,” her voice boomed back at them. “Don’t you know it’s rude to yell at old ladies?”</p><p>Rey pushed Ben back. “It’s okay Ms. Kanata,” she called. “We’re fine!”</p><p>“Need more wine?” Maz yelled, disappearing into her office. </p><p>“No thanks,” Ben called, wrinkling his nose at Rey. “What’s wrong with her taking the picture?”</p><p>“I didn’t know you knew her personally,” Rey huffed. “Anyway, she’s five feet tall, we’d look like giants from a camera held from her perspective. Get over here,” she waved at him, holding her arm open, indicating he should step within her personal space. He loomed over her, getting a lungful of her sweet, vanilla scent that had his head spinning. She took the painting with her free hand and angled it towards him. </p><p>“Eyes on the canvas. Try to look like you’re impressed with it. Hold the wine bottle so the label’s showing… Yes, that’s good, Ben. That’s... perfect.” </p><p>Her instructions ended on a breathy note while a corresponding and unexpected shiver of desire ran through Ben’s frame at her words. Instinctively, he leaned in closer, noticing with curiosity as her eyes flickered up to his face repeatedly, before looking back on towards the camera. Her lips were <em> so </em>pink. Eventually, she turned to face the camera, smiled wide, and pulled the selfie stick’s trigger a few times. Ben felt momentarily adrift as she stepped away.  </p><p>“Thank you,” she murmured, awkwardly setting down the canvas before retrieving her phone. She cleared her throat as her thumbs worked the touchscreen. “Now, I just post the picture and the clue… and any couple who responds with a photo of them here at Maz’s gets an entry in the grand prize drawing!” </p><p>There was a moment of silence as Ben watched Rey manipulate the photo for the City’s social media purposes. She absently bit at her thumbnail as he surreptitiously looked over her shoulder. </p><p>In the picture, her red and green sweater looked perfect for the holidays; she held the canvas at an angle towards him with a laughing smile on her face. She really looked happy. Mere inches from her, he was bent down slightly, a look of amazement, even wonder, crossing his features, an unopened bottle of chardonnay in his hand closest to the camera. He pressed his lips together, uncomfortably. They really did look like a couple out on a date, having fun together. So frustrating. Leave it up to his mom to hire someone super-competent at her job. </p><p>He cleared his throat, to mask his irritation at his meddling mother, and Rey’s wide eyes peered up at him as if he’d called her name.  </p><p>“So is this it?” Ben stared at her blankly. He’d thought Leia was asking for a substantial favor. All he’d done was stand around for an hour swilling Maz’s best Syrah and watch Rey Niima paint a terrible picture. Not the biggest favor Leia had ever asked him for. </p><p>“Yes,” Rey said, slightly taken aback. “That’s it for tonight.”</p><p>“Tonight?” he asked, a feeling of dread swirling in his stomach and beginning to sink. </p><p>“Well, the event is called The Twelve Dates of Christmas—” </p><p>“Oh,” Ben swallowed. “I see.”</p><p>“It’s a pun,” she continued. “Based on the song—”</p><p>“I get it—” Ben tried to cut her off with a nod, but she continued, as if unable to help herself. </p><p>“—The Twelve Days of Christmas.”</p><p>“Jokes aren’t funnier when you explain them, you know.” Ben deadpanned, arms crossed.    </p><p>“Sometimes,” she huffed, a blush rising up to pink her cheeks, “I find that they are.” She pursed her lips and words like <em> adorable, lovely, </em> and <em> kissable </em> flitted through Ben’s brain. </p><p>He set down his wine glass with a decisive <em> thunk. </em> If he was going to be nice to Rey it would only be because she was likely innocent in this set-up— not because he was doing his mother a favor. He gave her a questioning look.</p><p>“So, Twelve Dates of Christmas, huh? Aren’t most of the lines in the song about birds? French hens and turtle doves? One of your events could be a date at the Skywalker Aviary?” </p><p>Rey’s eyes brightened and he felt his heart lurch into a rapid, pattering beat as she smiled, all teeth. </p><p>“Exactly, now you’re getting into the spirit.” She clapped her hands a few times excitedly before squeezing Ben’s arm, her eyes sparking green like a holly wreath, her smile bright as fairy lights. </p><p>He was so screwed.</p><p>🎄</p><p>“I am not attracted to Ben Solo. I am not attracted to Ben Solo. I am not attracted to Ben Solo," Rey chanted to herself as she rolled out dough for a batch of homemade cut-out cookies.</p><p>But when the mantra failed to extricate the vision of him sauntering into Maz's shop, enormous broad shoulders stretching the seams on a black henley, dark hair curling down his neck, sleepy eyes the color of honey bourbon, Rey had to admit defeat—at least momentarily.</p><p>“Alright,” she huffed, dusting her hands with flour and inhaling the scents of sugar and browned butter. “So I'm attracted to him. But he’s so <em> rude.”  </em></p><p>She swallowed, her tongue pressing firmly against the roof of her mouth. Rey hated to admit it but the fact that he’d been a little mean hadn't exactly been a turnoff. She tried again.</p><p>“He’s my boss’ son. He’s off limits.”</p><p>Ben was the Mayor’s son. And Rey had big dreams. Rey had <em> goals </em> for her career at City Hall, a five year plan and everything and—and—well, if she hadn’t heard through the grapevine that Leia had a son, she would never have known he existed. </p><p>Leia had a son who’d gone to work for her longtime business and political rival, John Snoke. Leia had a son who had used his top-notch legal education to defend Snoke’s brutal price gouging tactics of <em> life-saving medicine for children. </em> </p><p>And he had, just a month ago, walked away from Snoke and left that life behind.</p><p>But Leia had never mentioned Ben to her, not once in the year she'd known her. Not once had she alluded to a son—or anyone named Ben—not until she’d greenlighted Rey's small business holiday project just two days ago. </p><p>It was obvious Leia did not mix business and her personal life, so if Rey wanted to impress her boss and keep that five year plan on track—she’d better keep this professional. She'd be damned if anyone, especially Leia, thought she was cozying up to the Mayor's son to advance her career.</p><p>She took up her rolling pin and attacked the dough on her countertop, returning to the only thought that might help her survive the next week.</p><p>“He’s off limits, he’s off limits, he’s off limits.” </p><p>⛄</p><p>Last night, as they'd left Maz’s shop, Rey had suggested they knock out a few more clues the following day and—his head still buzzing from being on the receiving end of her dazzling smiles—Ben had agreed without thinking. </p><p>In the clear light of day—much to his dismay—he realized he’d been conscripted into posing as an adorable woman’s boyfriend for a holiday-themed paean to capitalism and generally assorted materialistic nonsense. It was so obvious Leia wanted them to end up together. And it irked him. </p><p>But not enough to cancel the plans with Rey.</p><p>🎿</p><p>So, he knew better. He should have found some reason, any reason, to stay away. Leia wasn’t forcing him to work with Rey, not really. Guilt trips weren’t exactly a gun to the head, even when dealt by Leia Organa. She wouldn’t have disowned him over Rey, when she hadn’t over Snoke. </p><p>But every time he closed his eyes, he saw Rey’s pink, pouty lips; smelled her sweet scent; could still feel the warmth where she’d squeezed his arm as he’d come around to making helpful suggestions and, well. He was only human. So—only <em> slightly </em> reluctantly— he’d be spending all day Saturday with Rey.</p><p>Ben agreed to pick Rey up at her apartment—their first destination was The Mandalorian, the lodge atop Mt. Coruscant, the local ski resort. A half hour drive up the mountain, a quick hike on the footpath, a coffee in the lodge, and they could be on their way. Simple. Easy. </p><p>Rey met him on the corner and hopped in as he slowed by the curb. “Thanks for driving, this car is so nice.” She wiggled into the heated seats, distractingly. </p><p>“Of course,” Ben said eventually. “It’s got four wheel drive. And I'm very familiar with the mountain, I know a scenic shortcut to the lodge.“</p><p>“Oh really?” Rey sounded surprised. “I’ve never been.”</p><p>Ben shrugged as he navigated the onramp to the State Route that would lead them to the ski resort. “It’s great, we would go skiing there when I was a kid. I get up there a few times each season.”</p><p>Rey admitted she’d never been skiing and the remainder of the drive up the mountain their conversation was very cordial, very friendly, very surface. Even though it was exactly what he’d wanted, Ben couldn’t have been more unaccountably disappointed.</p><p>When they arrived at the lodge, Ben exited the vehicle and inhaled a lungful of crisp winter air before turning to look at Rey. Barely out of the car, she already had her hands tucked between her arms and her body, shivering in what Ben only now realized was a thin red cardigan over a white t-shirt.</p><p>He looked at her, face screwed up with disgust. “Where’s your coat?”</p><p>“Um…” Rey looked up at the lodge. Its gutters were lightly dusted with a recent snowfall.</p><p>“Well,” he nodded at her tote, sitting on the passenger side floorboard of his car. “Did you bring gloves or a hat?”</p><p>“Um…” Rey said, cheeks pink with cold or embarrassment, Ben wasn’t sure. </p><p>“Well.” Ben shifted on his feet, overwhelmed with a feeling of awkwardness, unable to get Rey to meet his eyes. “Let's get you into the lodge before you freeze to death,” he growled as Rey began to step around the car. </p><p>Her arms jerked upwards as her body went off kilter. Grabbing onto the car door, she caught herself, her feet sliding out from under her. Rapidly, he stepped around the car to see her barely keeping her balance on the icy ground, her sneakers not providing the traction necessary for the conditions.</p><p>“Damn it, Rey, what are you—” Without asking permission, he grabbed her; one hand on each of her arms. Firmly in his grip, he helped her maintain her balance as they walked in strained silence through the parking lot to the entrance of the lodge. </p><p>Arriving on the clean, dry pavement, Ben let her go. His throat felt tight, choked on frustration and unexpected desire. His hands had wrapped entirely around her slim shoulders, his fingertips brushing her collarbones while his thumbs nearly met in the middle of her shoulder blades. She didn’t know how to dress for the mountain, but she <em> had </em> mentioned she’d never been skiing before. He should have noticed. Should have protected her. This was his fault.</p><p>Rey turned to Ben, lifting her chin bravely, lower lip trembling. “Thank you for your help. I should have known…”</p><p>“Rey…” Ben reached out, but dropped his hand back before touching her, looking away as she quickly wiped the corners of her eyes with the heel of her hand. </p><p>“Let’s just go,” Rey sniffed, pointing to the walking path, “I’ll be fine once I get moving.” </p><p>Stuffing his hands in his pockets so she couldn’t see his clenched fists. Ben shrugged, mulishly. “You can’t hike wearing those shoes. And without a coat you’ll freeze to death.”</p><p>“Listen, I didn’t <em> know, </em> okay?” Rey’s voice wavered, just a hint of desperation. “Can you just let it go? I can tough it out until we get the picture. Just—”</p><p>“Sit down,” he directed harshly, leading her to a nearby bench, thankfully dry of snow. He pushed on her shoulders until she sat. “I need to grab something from inside the lodge. Don’t move.”    </p><p>Fifteen minutes later, Ben stomped back out of the lodge, jaw set, carrying an oversized paper bag with handles labeled with the lodge’s logo and Rey’s eyes widened in alarm. </p><p>“What—” she began, but he cut her off with a dark look as he sat down next to her. </p><p>“Here,” he began, pulling out a knit hat with a matching scarf and mittens. As Rey sat frozen—literally frozen—in shock, he crammed the forest green hat down on her head and roughly wound the scarf around her neck. At her sudden gasp, he gentled his hands and curled the scarf down tight under her jawline. One side of his mouth quirked upwards as he slowly adjusted the tails of the scarf as they flowed over her collarbone.</p><p>“Isn’t that better?” he inquired rhetorically, his eyes gazing deeply into hers with something that looked a lot like caring. </p><p>“Ben, I—” But her words caught in her throat. He had looked so <em> angry. </em>But maybe he had a point. She was regaining feeling in her ears, anyway. </p><p>“Arms,” he ordered, pulling a lightweight puffy winter coat out of the bag and yanking the price tag off. The coat was white and trimmed in a shimmery faux fur, soft to the touch, and somehow Ben had it up one arm and was cradling her close to maneuver her other arm into the soft warmth of the coat. Her rapidly warming nose bumped against his collar, filling her senses with his warm and woody scent. Arousal tickled her skin and pooled low in her belly.   </p><p>“Ben,” Rey tried again, “you—”</p><p>“Feet,” he snapped, grabbing her jean-clad knee and bringing it up over his lap. She squeaked and he chuckled darkly, grabbing her old, worn out running shoe by the heel. “Can’t hike in these, bay—” he cut himself off with a cough. “Can’t hike in these, they’re... bald.” He dropped the shoe in the shopping bag without ceremony and pulled out a large shoe box that held two soft-looking brown boots. Rey leaned back, looking dizzy. </p><p>“How did you know my size?” </p><p>He smirked. “I had the shopgirl peek at you through the window.” He jerked his head back over his shoulder towards the lodge. “Eight and a half. Did she make the right choice?”</p><p>Rey nodded. “Ben, you shouldn’t have—”</p><p>But he’d already removed her second shoe and slipped the boot onto her foot. </p><p>“Ah, but I did,” he said, and it sounded like an apology. </p><p>👢</p><p>The sunlight glinted blindingly on the trees under a crisp blue sky. They navigated the gentle walking path up to the viewpoint, which would present the lodge as an advantageous backdrop for the picture. Rey’s hands twitched inside the mittens he’d bought her. She didn’t enjoy feeling like a charity case, but somehow, it hadn’t felt like charity when his knuckles nearly brushed over her… shirt... as he zipped up her new coat. She shivered, and not entirely from the cold. The stern look in his eyes had warmed her instantly. She’d never seen a man take such competent charge of her before. She hated to admit it, but it made her a little weak in the knees.   </p><p>Ben hung back, watching as Rey walked up the path, ready to assist if she lost her balance on the uneven ground as they ascended towards the lookout point. They weren’t talking much, but the silence seemed comfortable, and he could pretend he was just out on a nice walk with a pretty girl and not one of his mother’s employees who brought out and animated every protective instinct he possessed.</p><p>When they reached the top, they found a low rock wall and Rey took a seat, looking up at Ben expectantly with a small smile. </p><p>“I feel like—” she stopped and shook her head as he sat next to her. “You’re doing me this big favor by helping with the project, and then all this.” She held up her forest green mittened hands and dropped them in her lap. “I don’t know what to say.”</p><p>“Hmm,” Ben hummed, looking over Rey’s head into the snow covered hills beyond. “You don’t have to say anything. You needed the gear and I knew where to find it. That’s all.”</p><p>“I see,” Rey said, agreeably, but her voice was a little unsure. Shaking her head, she pulled out the selfie stick, notching her phone into place and extending the rod. “Smile for the camera?” </p><p>Ben nodded, looking away from her and up towards where she held the phone as she took their picture, faces red with cold and exertion, smiles warm and real. Maybe still a little giddy, but for a second date? Perfect.  </p><p>❄️</p><p>Back in the lodge, Ben grabbed her hand and led her into the tall-windowed lounge area near a well-appointed coffee shop. Directing her to sit on a sofa near the roaring fire, he wandered into the coffee shop and ordered a peppermint mocha for her and a flat white for himself. Taking the drinks back into the seating area he found her examining a table-top menu with alarm. </p><p>“Did that coffee cost nine dollars?” she asked, hands clasped tight in her lap. </p><p>He set the drink down on the low table next to her. “Don’t worry about it Rey.” She continued to look worried though, so he gestured towards the barista. “Jess used to intern for my mom. She gave me the employee discount.”</p><p>“Thank you,” she said with a nod. “This—” she gestured to the high-gabled lodge, lushly appointed and decorated with stylish garlands and candles and coordinating wreaths. “This is just a whole new world for me. I didn’t have the opportunity to experience places like this, growing up, I… envied kids who did.” She blushed and looked back down at her hands.    </p><p>He held out his mug towards her. “Drink up,” he said, and held it there until she raised her mug to his. “I’m glad I was able to share this place with you.” His voice was sounding a little husky—must be all that cold air—and he cleared his throat. “Anyway, I’ve never worked on a municipal social media small business marketing blitz before. So here’s to new experiences.”</p><p>The mugs clinked together companionably.</p><p>☕</p><p>Warmed from their coffee, Ben held the door for Rey as they exited the lodge and walked side by side down the path towards the parking lot. Looking down the row for his car, he was fishing the keys out of his coat pocket when he realized Rey wasn’t walking next to him anymore. Turning to look, he reared back with a gasp as a small, icy ball of snow hit the side of his head and slid down his neck. Shocked, he saw Rey wheezing with glee, bent double, one arm around her stomach, one arm raised to hold him back as he charged her. </p><p>“You little brat!”</p><p>“Ben, oh, I’m sorry, whoop—!” was all she was able to get out between gasps of laughter before Ben had taken a handful of snow to the back of her neck. Shrieking, she retreated towards a large snowbank for another handful, when Ben swung one arm around her waist to prevent her from reaching her goal. Off balance and breathless, they fell, a soft explosion of downy snow powder poofing around them as the snowbank caught their descent, soft as a blanket. </p><p>Because of how he’d grabbed her, they’d fallen with her back to his front, the pom-pom atop her new knit hat tickling his nose as his hand slid from her stomach to her hip as he spooned around her. They were both breathing heavily, puffs of condensed air visible as they settled. Ben thanked his lucky stars that it was too cold for his body to quickly respond to Rey’s intimate nearness and contented himself with admiring the shine of her hair on her shoulders, the flakes of snow melting on her lashes, and did his best to ignore how perfect her ass looked nestled up against his thighs and under his hand.  </p><p>Rey kept her face forward, not trusting herself to look back up over her shoulder at Ben, the feel of his large, thick body behind hers overwhelming her good sense, the tingling sensation spreading out from her hip where his gloved fingers held her almost too much to bear. For one glorious moment she wondered if he would roll her over—but with a nearly imperceptible squeeze he rocked himself up and out of the snowbank. </p><p>“Come here, you,” he grumbled, but his eyes were bright as he reached down to help her up. “Let’s get back to town.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. We're Having 'Snow' Much Fun Together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ben and Rey continue their dates: ice skating, a horse-drawn carriage ride, and making holiday wreaths at a local greenhouse. But when a kiss under the mistletoe goes from friendly to mind-blowing, they both are left wondering if what they're feeling is really real, or just a product of the manufactured situation in which they find themselves.</p><p>After an evening at a local toy shop ends with Ben telling Rey he thinks she's just a victim of his mother's machinations, the next day's date--a hot cocoa tasting at a local candy shop--is fraught with emotion. And just when Ben thinks everything is going his way, he receives an ominous text message...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome back and thank you for reading! Just wanted to pop in and say, though this fic is rated T/M, if there's ever anything you think I should tag that I haven't, please just let me know!  Thank you!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>⛸️</p><p>Ben bit his tongue. Sucked his lips into his mouth rather than say anything. Rey’s face had transformed into another glorious smile as they entered the pavilion that held Coruscant’s ribbon-shaped ice rink. It wouldn’t matter now if Leia let him off the hook. He shouldn’t <em> really </em> date her, but to see Rey smile like this, he’d keep helping her.</p><p>The ice ribbon wove around the small ticket booth and concession stand located at the northwest corner of the park. Every so often the ice widened to accommodate a fire pit for  warming the skaters who dashed about on the ice. The ribbon path was lined with bright strings of lights and holiday tunes burbled merrily through the soundsystem. Perfect for a holiday date, even Ben had to agree. </p><p>“Kaydel!” he exclaimed as they approached the skate rental counter. “Bubbeh Breha making you work over Christmas break?” he teased the blonde teenager, whose hair was streaked with pink and woven in a fat crown braid. </p><p>Kaydel stuck out her tongue as she handed him an exchange slip. “At least I have a job,” she snarked back. “Is this Auntie Leia’s—?”</p><p>“This is Rey Niima,” he introduced before Kaydel could say anything inappropriate. “And yes, she works at City Hall. Rey, this is my cousin Kaydel. She was just about to get us skates,” he added, shooting Kaydel a half-joking warning glance as he told her their sizes.</p><p>Within a minute she was back; she gave Ben a wink as she smiled at him, her lips pressed tight between her teeth as if holding back on teasing her older cousin. He thanked Kaydel with a side-hug and she skedaddled off as Ben and Rey laced up. </p><p>“She’s your cousin?” Rey asked, amazed as Ben nodded. “Small world.” She paused for a moment, having finished her laces. “I'm so excited for this, I love skating,” she continued, with a sigh so breathy it almost made Ben forget how much he hated wearing ice skates. </p><p>Pushing off, they skated side by side for a moment. “When I was in the foster system, the city would give us free passess for roller skating in the summer and ice skating in the winter. It was the only real activity I could get involved in, since I couldn’t afford to participate in school sports.” She twirled around on her skates coming to a halt just outside one of the fire pits before moving on. “It’s one reason why I wanted to work in City government. To give back. It’s why I wanted to work with Mayor Organa—”</p><p><em> Right, </em>Ben reminded himself. Mayor Organa. Mom. She who would love nothing better than to see him dating Rey with this obvious set-up. He shrugged his shoulders.</p><p>“But enough about me,” Rey was saying, “What’s it like having your mom be the Mayor?”  </p><p>“Political,” he joked, dryly. “It seems like everyone is either an enemy or an ally. But she always put family first. For example, things were... uncomfortable when I went to work for Snoke. But it’s not like we cut each other out of our lives. I still had dinner with her and dad once a week.” Ben sighed, remembering. “But there wasn’t much to talk about. All I did was work. I didn’t keep up with any hobbies, or have much of a social life. Dad couldn’t say anything to me without taking a dig at my life choices. So mom ended up doing most of the talking. Luckily there’s no shortage of interesting things going on at City Hall. She’s—” </p><p>Ben paused, discomfort tensing his shoulders and twisting his lips. Why was it so easy to talk to this girl? He supposed it must be all those dinners when Leia would rhapsodize enthusiastically about the wonderful Rey Niima. Hard-working, inspirational life story, <em> really going places </em>Rey Niima. And here she was in the flesh. With him. It was like he already knew her. Was comfortable with her. </p><p>He had to remind himself that he didn’t really know her. This date was <em> fake. </em> If it felt real, that was just Leia, pulling the strings. Regardless of what happened at the resort, Rey was just doing her job; she probably had no idea that Leia was such a schemer.    </p><p>“Always something going on, that’s the truth,” Rey agreed, long after his pause turned awkward; with a quick spin, she moved into a fire pit area. “Your mom—well.” She shrugged, turning away from Ben as if she’d realized she'd been skating too close to the edge of something dangerous all day long. “She’s my role model. Amazing.” She looked away from Ben, awkwardly, admitting, “It’s important to me that this project impresses her.”</p><p>Ben nodded slowly. Pulling out her phone, she stared at it for a moment. “Oh shoot,” she pouted. “I left the selfie stick in the car.” </p><p>“Please,” chided Ben, happy for the change of subject away from his mom and even happier to be of service to Rey. He stuffed his glove in his pocket and took the phone from her. “Allow me.” </p><p>Rey skated in close as Ben held the camera at arms-length above them, careful to get a good shot of the ice ribbon snaking away behind them. Big smiles again, but both a little guarded. </p><p>She wasn’t present, but Leia Organa was definitely in the picture.</p><p>❄️</p><p>Ben felt Rey shiver as he slid into the back of the horse drawn carriage with her, the narrow seat not entirely accommodating his large frame. </p><p>“Sorry,” she muttered, leaning forward as he also twisted his lower body, knocking their knees together.</p><p>Ben tried to sit taller, to take up less space on the narrow bench. “How ‘bout I—” he moved his arm up and to the side, resting it on the back of the open coach at the same time his lower body instinctively twisted to keep his knees from touching hers. The result was his arm slid across her back at the same moment the horse began to draw the carriage forward, and Rey was jostled under Ben's arm as they got underway. Her hand landed on his thigh momentarily, the heat between them burning immediately. His thigh muscle flexed and Rey snatched her hand back, folding her hands in her lap as they settled into the swaying rhythm of the carriage.</p><p>“Oh,” Rey said, somewhat nonsensically. </p><p>Ben felt a little light-headed, squeezed up next to Rey. They’d both been so diligent about not touching while at the ice ribbon; there’d been no physical contact since the ill-advised roughhousing at the ski lodge earlier in the day. So being close to her again was intoxicating; the sun had set and under the stars and city streetlights, it felt like a whole different world. Ben tried to focus.</p><p>“How about we, um,” he began, holding his free hand out to her, palm up.</p><p>“Right, sure,” agreed Rey, who somehow knew what he was trying to say. Fishing her phone out of her pocket, she handed it to him, their fingers brushing, the contact sending tingles up his arm. The kind of tingles that heralded bad decisions. Ben gritted his teeth, and tried to remind himself that this was all his mother's idea.</p><p>“Do you mind?” Rey asked; she looked concerned. “It’s okay, if you'd rather not.” </p><p>“Of course, it’s fine,” he said in what he hoped passed for an agreeable tone, quickly taking their picture and handing the phone back to Rey. He didn’t even want to see what this one looked like. His heart was screaming at him that this had been one of the best days of his life. But it was all fake. So if it looked like he was having a good time, he really didn’t want to know.</p><p>“Thanks for doing this, really I appreciate it.” Rey’s words were barely audible over the jingling bells of the reins and the clip-clop of the horse’s hooves on the pavement.</p><p>“Anything for a friend,” Ben forced himself to say, silently congratulating himself for taking steps to defuse the tension between them.</p><p>Rey made a little sound. “Ah.” She sat straight back against the bench, looking intently at her phone, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “Right.”</p><p>An awkward silence fell, and Ben hated it; against his better judgement, he heard himself asking, “What’s the clue this time?”</p><p>Eyes still on her phone, Rey cracked a small smile. “What could be better at the end of the day, than to give your sweetheart the <em> final sleigh,” </em> Rey recited as she typed.</p><p>“Oof, sorry I asked.”</p><p>“See,” Rey said, pointing at her screen. “Final sleigh? It's a pun on—”</p><p>Ben just sighed dramatically and let his head fall back behind his shoulders.</p><p>“Final <em> say,” </em>Rey finished. “It’s funny.”</p><p>“If you say so, sweetheart,” Ben teased, giving in to the tingles, jostling her further under his arm; pulling her close as a few snowflakes began to fall.</p><p>🐴</p><p>Monday morning found Ben sleeping in with nothing to do. Again. Being unemployed was curiously stressful, even if it was a relief to be away from Snoke.</p><p>He’d been at Snoke’s beck and call twenty-four seven over the last year. He hadn’t engaged in hobbies, or had a social life in longer than that. Those decisions seemed to be biting him in the ass right now—if he was busier, Leia might not have roped him into—his eyes jumped to look at the clock. Quarter after eight. He relaxed back into bed. Plenty of time, over two hours to kill—probably at the gym—until it was time to meet Rey on the north end of town at Kashyyyk Garden Center for another fake date. </p><p>At half past ten, he pulled into the parking lot just as Rey got out of her car, what looked like a well-maintained old-model Corolla. A curious feeling of relief settled over his shoulders at seeing her again; it didn’t make sense; they’d only been apart one day, but he couldn’t deny the feeling. </p><p>“Hey Ben,” Rey called cheerfully. “Have you been checking the City’s twitter feed? We’re a social media hit!” She sounded excited, so he looked over her shoulder at her phone. “See,” she pointed at the tweet that showed the picture of them at the ice ribbon. “Lots of positive engagement, and over seven hundred likes?” She sounded positively giddy. </p><p>Pulling up his own phone, Ben navigated to the City’s twitter feed. In between the business as usual tweets about municipal services were Rey’s tweets about the holiday scavenger hunt. Ben clicked on the tweet with the picture of them on the sleigh, his arm around Rey’s shoulders, their knees touching. Instinctively, he read the first response below their picture, a tweet with a link to a local gossip column by Bazine Netal. </p><p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> “Corporate baddie Ben Solo redeemed by holiday spirit? Rey Niima is the holiday scavenger hunt queen of our dreams!”  </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>That one had over one hundred likes. Ben frowned and scrolled to the next reply. </p><p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> “Solo and Niima are GOALS what a perfect couple UGH.”  </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Ben grimaced. People were getting the wrong idea. </p><p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em> “So FREAKING hot, can you even imagine?!?!? how does their mattress not spontaneously combust?”  </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>Ben closed the app, his vision going a little wobbly around the edges. This was, somehow, all his mother’s fault.</p><p>“Well, that’s—” he bit his tongue. Probably best to seem unaffected. Maybe she hadn’t seen the replies. </p><p>All smiles, Rey walked up to the greenhouse door and knocked. As the door opened, Rey extended her hand to the immense man who opened it, his long, scraggly shoulder-length hair pushed back off his face.</p><p>“Mr. Chewbacca, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Rey said cheerfully. “I’m Rey Niima, and this is Be—” </p><p>“Hey, Uncle Chewie,” Ben sighed, giving the large man a hug as Rey’s eyes bugged out. </p><p>“Do you know <em> everyone </em> in this town?” she asked, flabbergasted, as Chewie roared with guttural laughter. </p><p>After a short tour of the greenhouse—Ben hadn’t been by to visit much in the last year, Uncle Chewie caustically observed—they entered an area where wooden picnic tables were arranged end to end with various stations for assembling holiday wreaths. The tables were strewn with everything from evergreen clippings,  decorations, and other festive embellishments. Rey was positively thrilled and, unintentionally, tugged on Ben’s sleeve pointing out the various colorful ornaments cut into simple wooden shapes and painted or covered in glitter. </p><p>She stuffed her hands in her pockets to make sure she didn’t accidentally keep touching him. Not touching him was the plan; after a night dreaming about how his muscled arm had held her securely in the horse-drawn carriage, she’d told herself to act like a responsible adult and not like a schoolgirl with a crush. But the memory of his large thigh pressed flush to hers made that <em> very difficult.  </em></p><p>“So you take the clippings there,” Chewie directed, “and use the wire to connect the ends, weaving in the holly berries, or pine cones.” He gestured to the pile of different varieties of evergreen sprigs. “Use whatever you like.” He stepped back, to allow Ben and Rey to access the materials, going to rearrange some poinsettias at the other end of the room. </p><p>Rey looked up at Ben, his nearness making her feel giddy, and unfortunately, comfortable with the idea of teasing him. </p><p>“So what’s it going to be, Ben? Are you going to participate in the fun?” She elbowed him gently in the ribs. “Get your hands dirty? Or will you just watch me enjoy myself like you did at Maz’s?”</p><p>It wasn’t so much her exact words, but her flirty delivery of them that made her question sound like the worst innuendo. Ben’s eyes widened slightly while Rey’s cheeks flushed a deep red; he must have decided to take pity on her however, because he picked up a bare grapevine wreath and rolled a juniper clipping between his fingers. </p><p>“I’ll make a wreath,” he grumped. “But only because Uncle Chewie doesn’t keep booze on the premises like Maz does.”</p><p>“She doesn't keep it at the house either,” came Chewie’s voice from across the greenhouse. “Both of us, clean and sober for over seven years.”</p><p>Rey looked up at Ben questioningly and he looked down on her skeptically. “You didn’t know Maz and Chewie were partners?” he whispered.</p><p>Before Rey could wrap her mind around <em> that, </em> Chewie was walking back over. “Rey, do you need me to take a picture of you and Ben making the wreaths?”</p><p>“That would be great!” Rey exclaimed, grinning enthusiastically up at Ben. “Just give us a few minutes and we’ll be ready.” </p><p>Diving right in, Rey wove a mix of douglas fir and white pine twigs together while Ben picked up a few ivy tines to attach to some blue spruce branches. They worked in companionable silence for a few minutes, Ben trying not to grind his teeth over random internet opinions while Rey tried not to act any sillier around Ben than she already had, the woodsy, crisp smells surrounding them in the greenhouse reminding her of his warm manly scent. </p><p>Eventually, Chewie wandered back and Rey handed over her camera. “Let’s take an action shot, just us working on the wreaths.” </p><p>Chewie took a few pictures, Rey’s phone looking miniscule in the large man’s hands. “That should do it,” he grunted. “There’s a bunch for you to choose from.”</p><p>“Excellent,” said Rey, putting a sprig of small white flowers in the bottom right of her wreath and tucking it under a bright red bow. “I think we’re done here then—” </p><p>“Oh!” exclaimed Uncle Chewie, his voice overly loud and bordering on insincere. “There’s a sprig of mistletoe just above you” Ben didn’t even look up but Rey’s eyes bounced up to the ceiling and she made a little <em> oh </em>noise.</p><p>Chewie laughed. “Come on now, it’s tradition!” He held up the camera, gesturing at them to get on with it. </p><p>Ben looked down at Rey with a shrug; he wasn’t going to try very hard to get out of this. “He won’t let this go, is it alright with you?”</p><p>“Sure,” Rey breathed, her eyes slightly unfocused on the region between Ben’s nose and chin. “It’s tradition.”</p><p>Nodding, Ben placed his hands on Rey’s shoulders and bent down for a quick peck. </p><p>Their lips slid together, but Rey didn’t pull back right away and Ben didn’t either. The kiss became a firm press of lips as Ben angled Rey’s jaw slightly to the side, his hand caressing her neck. Out of instinct, she pressed her lips into his mouth and his lush lips slid over hers, grazing her upper lip with his teeth, sending a sizzle of electricity down her spine. Rey’s hands clenched, fisted in the lapels of Ben’s jacket as her lower lip rubbed against his, the delicious friction making her smile into the kiss. </p><p>Ben overwhelmed her. Her lips gently parted and he devoured her mouth, his tongue caressing the underside of her lower lip, sucking on it, at first gently, and then increasing in intensity. She gave herself up to the sensation, her head falling back, his thick tongue pushing against the roof of her mouth. Like a caress, a lock of Ben’s hair fell and brushed her forehead and she moaned, softly, just a low hum in the back of her throat. But the noise broke the moment; Ben pulled back sharply and Rey’s head went spinning. How had that gotten out of control so quickly?</p><p>For one second, she kept her eyes shut. She felt her lashes fluttering uncontrollably—and licked Ben’s taste from off her lips—before she recovered. Her eyes popped open and she stepped away, forcing her fingers to relax from how they had been tangled in Ben’s outerwear. She looked back at Ben; they both stood there, breathing heavily. </p><p>“Um…” said Uncle Chewie and they both turned towards him in complete surprise. Had he been standing there the entire time?</p><p>🎄</p><p>Ben waved goodbye to Rey as she hefted her bag over her shoulder and headed to her car, juggling her wreath in her free hand. </p><p>“See you in a bit,” she called as she drove off.</p><p>He was meeting her at the downtown mall that evening for another fake date. A few hours. No reason to feel his anxiety spike as he watched her drive away. No reason to want to run after her and keep her close. No reason to start missing her already.</p><p>He reminded himself that the only reason Rey was spending time with him was for work. Because he was modeling the role of <em> handsome boyfriend. </em>Because his mother had given them both their marching orders. No other reason.</p><p>Somehow, those orders didn’t feel as set in stone when her peppermint chapstick still tingled on his lips. </p><p>💋</p><p>Back at her desk, Rey took a long drink from a bottle of water, remembering how her cheeks went as red as roses after she and Ben had tried—and failed—to perform a simple, traditional mistletoe kiss at Chewie’s. They’d just gotten carried away. She felt flustered; it had happened <em> so fast. </em> </p><p>When it was done, she’d collected her phone from Chewie and noted the time—she’d needed to get back to the office. She remembered saying goodbye to both Chewie and Ben, but the drive back downtown was a blur.</p><p>Pulling out her phone, she fiddled with the filters on the picture of her and Ben at Chewie’s nursery until she was satisfied. The picture showed Ben looking down at his handiwork with a grin that made her heart lurch into her ribs. She, on the other hand, was staring at Ben, a dippy, dopey, dazzled look on her face that was a little too real for comfort. Much to her chagrin, all the pictures had been exactly the same. </p><p>She straightened her spine, ensured there weren’t any typos in her clue—she was really proud of her pun this time—and pressed “tweet.” Leia might not see the picture, anyway. Surely the Mayor had better things to do than monitor the City’s social media feed and see how Rey had been unable to maintain a professional demeanor when faced with a pair of pretty eyes. A spike of guilt shook Rey’s frame and she did her best to shake it off, repeating to herself that they’d just gotten carried away, but it's just a tradition; no harm done.</p><p>Exiting out of twitter, Rey found her photo library open and swiped through the half-dozen pictures Chewie had taken of her and Ben working. Another swipe of her thumb and she froze as a video clip started. She gasped; a <em> nearly thirty second video </em>that began with Ben setting his hands on her shoulders and leaning in for a kiss. Fumbling with the phone to ensure the volume was down and pulling the phone close to her chest so no one could walk up behind her and see, she watched in amazement as she and Ben kissed… and kissed… and kissed some more. </p><p>This was bad. </p><p>This was really bad.</p><p>🎅</p><p>“So what’s this we’re doing now?” Ben asked, his large form cutting a path for Rey to follow through the busy mall. It boggled her mind how people seemed to subconsciously move aside for his imposing figure. She shook her head to clear it and focus on his question. </p><p>“We’re shopping at a locally owned toy store for Toys for Tots.” Rey pointed at a Christmas display off to the side of the main mall thoroughfare. “You go shopping for toys—supporting a local business—and then donate to kids in need. We really appreciate it. I mean, the kids do.” </p><p>“Sounds simple enough,” Ben agreed, looking at her with keen eyes. “But… this is a date?”</p><p>“Well sure,” Rey said slowly. “If someone isn’t interested in giving what they can to the less fortunate, that’s something you should know—I mean, it’s something I’d want to know—about someone I was dating. Which I’m not. But if I <em> was </em> dating someone...” she trailed off, wishing she could punt herself off a cliff. </p><p>“Okay,” said Ben, firmly, as if he hadn’t heard her embarrassing admission. “Let’s do this.”</p><p>🎁</p><p>Forty-five minutes later, Rey and Ben each carried a large bag of games, puzzles, and books as they retraced their steps towards the Toys for Tots barrel. </p><p>The shopping had been a success. Rey’s heart squeezed uncomfortably, seeing the ease with which Ben kept adding donations to his basket—it seemed as if each aisle held a happy memory of his younger days, prompting him to tell the story about how this toy or that action figure was vital, required, <em> necessary </em> for any kid to have. He bought them all.</p><p>Seeing his face light up with uncomplicated delight had been a heady experience. Rey had nearly swooned with unwanted fond feelings, which made it difficult to ignore the desire simmering low in her belly. Ben was just… a really good person. In addition to being hot as a Christmas bonfire. It was too much.</p><p>Ben shifted his bag of gifts from one arm to the other as they traversed the mall. He noted with interest how the donation barrel was guarded by an actual Marine in full dress uniform; the Marine’s face lit up with a smile as Ben and Rey approached.</p><p>“Finn,” Rey waved. “How are you this evening?”</p><p>“Better now that you’re here,” he teased and Rey giggled, a carefree happy sound that Ben remembered from the ski lodge when they’d fallen into the snow. Suddenly his clothes all felt too tight. He took a deep breath to calm himself as Rey turned to introduce him to <em> Finn. </em></p><p>Rey took a deep breath. “This is—” Her face froze for a moment as she succumbed to a blast of memory: pressed knee to knee with Ben in the carriage when he’d said they were<em> friends. </em> Right. The words stuck in her throat but she forced out “—my friend, Ben Solo.” Beside her, she felt Ben bristle and Rey winced; it had sounded so natural when Ben said it, why did she come off so passive-aggressive? She continued on, gamely. “We were just at Wexley’s Toy Shop. He’s helping me with a project for Mayor Organa…” Somehow, Ben tensed up even further, the paper bag crinkling in his hands.</p><p>“And look at all you’ve brought. This is amazing,” Finn enthused, rescuing the bag from Ben and settling it next to the donation bin. He extended his hand to Ben. “Thanks, man.”</p><p>“Of course,” Ben said, eyes widening in shock when Finn took Rey’s bag and pulled her into an embrace. </p><p>“Hey Peanut,” the Marine murmured in her ear, “how about you let me buy you dinner sometime next week?” </p><p>Ben bristled, his shoulder muscles tensing instantly; he couldn’t believe it. Sure he knew—and Rey knew—this was a fake date, but this guy couldn’t know that—could he? But then he remembered Rey had introduced him to Finn as a friend… </p><p>So. </p><p>Ben counted to ten, willing himself to stop seeing red. This was good. This was absolutely okay. Rey, making a date with an eligible person who wanted to date her. A person who wasn’t him. But this was fine. Hadn’t he been saying all week he didn’t want to date her either? Not give Leia the pleasure of directing the course of his life? He had. So this was not frustrating. This was just fine. </p><p>Ben stuffed his fists into his pockets and suppressed the urge to growl as Rey pulled back from Finn’s hug with a smile. “That sounds great, text me okay?”</p><p>With another wave, Rey moved away and Ben followed her towards the parking garage where they’d parked their cars, resisting the urge to wrap her up in his arms, hold her close, make her his <em> forever. </em> For a moment, he considered channeling those wild urges into asking Rey to grab a drink, but thought better of it. Asking a girl out only because you’d seen her agree to a date with another man seemed like bad form, and anyway, it was fine. This way, he still had his pride. </p><p>His <em> pride. </em>And thank goodness for that. In the silence of the parking garage, his muttered comment rang loud and clear.</p><p>“I guess my mom’s plans for us won’t work out after all.” </p><p>Ben tried to sound relieved, but for being so entirely <em> fine </em> with Rey dating the handsome Marine, his heart really wasn’t in it. </p><p>“Huh?” Rey gave a dry chuckle and pulled out her car keys. “What are you on about?”</p><p>He kept himself from openly scoffing. “As if you don’t know.”</p><p>“No…. What are you talking about, Ben?” Rey shook her head, confusion on her face.</p><p>“I’m talking about how my mom only asked me to do this,” he gestured between them, “because she wanted to set us up. As a couple.” At Rey’s bewildered look, he continued. “She's meddling. For a whole year, she talked you up to me. Constantly. She wouldn’t shut up about you. She won’t be happy until she’s forced us together.”</p><p>Rey stepped back, eyes wide as her hand fluttered to her throat. She shook her head in denial.</p><p>“That can’t be.” She sounded lost. “The Mayor never told me about <em> you.” </em></p><p>“What?” Ben’s stomach began to sink.</p><p>“She never told me about you.” Each word was a punctuated bullet. “I’d heard she had a son, people gossiped about you and Snoke, but—” The hurt in her rapidly rising voice was evident and Ben’s stomach was now in the vicinity of his knees. “We rarely, if ever, had personal conversations, Ben. She doesn’t think of me that way.”</p><p>“No. No—” Confusion sent a spike of anger through his chest. “It was constant, Rey, for <em> months, </em> she talked about nothing but you. She put us together on this project to set us up.”</p><p>Rey gasped, anger overtaking her face and Ben’s stomach bottomed out, lower than his ankles. The chill of the parking garage seeped into his bones. </p><p>She glared at him. “You’ve got some nerve, if that's what you think.” She turned away as if she’d leave and then spun back around. “The Mayor assigned you to this project because when I pitched the concept the <em> only </em> thing missing was someone to model as my date. I was going to contact Kenobi Casting and hire an <em> actor </em> when Mayor Organa said she knew someone who could <em> help. </em> And it wouldn’t cost anything. Because I don't have a budget for this— you know what, forget it. You don’t care. But this is my career, you arrogant <em> arse. </em> I had to work <em> so hard </em> to even get the chance to pitch this project to the small business chamber of commerce. Blood, sweat and <em> tears </em> to impress Mayor Organa and you think she greenlighted my project just so I’d end up dating her son? <em> Fuck. You.” </em></p><p>Hands stuffed in his pockets, Ben pursed his lips and gave into anger. “You’re so sure you’re right,” he sneered, and Rey flinched at his tone. “You don’t know Leia like I do, Rey.”  </p><p>When he didn’t elaborate, Rey drew herself up to her full height, her chin raised, but trembling. “If that’s what you really think, then maybe we should stop this now.” She was trembling as she stared off into the middle distance behind him. “I’m sorry for what happened at Chewie’s,” she spat out the words as if they tasted bad in her mouth and soldiered on. “I’m not going to risk ruining my reputation at City Hall by—” She cut herself off as her voice began to wobble, and he could tell she fought to keep her tears from falling. “By being less than professional.” </p><p>Ben snorted, the surge of pain brought on by her words temporarily numbing him. He couldn’t process what was happening or keep his big mouth shut. “Nah, wouldn’t want anyone to think you were with me just to kiss my mom’s ass.”</p><p>He swallowed thickly after the words crossed his tongue. If Rey was telling the truth that meant Leia <em> hadn’t </em> ever thought of them as a potential couple. It was a humbling realization. Up until a month ago he’d been Snoke’s lawyer and was certainly not worthy of someone like Rey, someone who helped her community and was truly <em> good. </em> </p><p>Still angry, Ben waved his hand, dismissively. “My mom really likes you, Rey. If she approved your project, it’s because she believes in it.” He felt his face heat up. “If she figured I’d be able to help you—” He rubbed his chest, his heart twisting painfully against his ribs as he reached the decision point. “I can do that. I can be professional and help finish the project if you want.” He shrugged. “I’ll understand if you don’t.”</p><p>Rey’s face was a grimace of disgust, confusion, and pain. But she didn't say anything, unless the sound of her boots against the pavement, walking quickly away contained a message. </p><p>Ben was pretty sure it did.</p><p>Later that night, he checked the City’s twitter feed and saw in amazement that Rey had posted their picture from Uncle Chewie’s garden center with the caption, <em> “Want your holidays to bloom for sure and neatly *spruce* up your front door? Visit Kashyyyk and stand beneath the mistletoe to make a wreath!” </em></p><p>He saved the picture to his phone. In it, she was ethereal; warm and genuine and <em> real, </em>gazing at him with happiness in her alluring green eyes, and he forced himself to look at her picture instead of obsessing over how she’d turned away from him in the freezing cold mall parking garage.  </p><p>“I should text her,” he muttered to himself. “Maybe if I asked her to explain the pun—” </p><p>When his cell phone rang his heart skipped a beat and his hands shook as he pulled his phone from his pocket. He was desperately sure it was Rey, he needed it to be her, so he was fairly certain there weren't any words to describe the tsunami of dread that overwhelmed him when the caller ID identified <em> John Snoke. </em></p><p>🍪</p><p>Ben’s palms were sweaty. He felt like a teenager, waiting for his first date to begin. So utterly soft. He barely recognized himself anymore. How had he gotten so weak for this girl? </p><p>That morning, Rey had texted and asked if he’d meet her that afternoon at Coruscandyland, a local sweet shop and of course he’d immediately agreed.</p><p>Only he’d arrived too early and now was overthinking all his choices, including having bought Rey flowers on the way in. He could tell her they were apology flowers. And they were. But red roses weren't exactly professional. And professional is what she’d wanted, so professional was what she was going to get.</p><p>Better to be obsessing over what to do with this grocery store bouquet than think about the phone call with Snoke. Against his better judgement, he’d taken the call. Snoke hadn’t insisted he come back to work, just said he’d seen the City’s twitter account, congratulated him (sarcastically) on finding a new line of work, took a few (unnecessary) digs at Leia, which was par for the course, and finished up with a few (oblique and concerning) comments about “that sweet young Ms. Niima,” before Ben ended the call.</p><p>Today was about Rey and the success of her project. Nothing else. Mind made up, he tossed the flowers in the back seat. Rey was pulling into the parking lot and he quickly walked towards her car, heart lighter with every step. </p><p>Rey, for her part, had spent all night watching the video of her and Ben kissing, each time telling herself it was the last time—and vowing to delete it—but neither happened. Her anger had melted away as she’d fallen asleep, watching their kiss for what could have been the ten thousandth time, until the way Ben’s thumbs had pressed into her arms and his nose had squished into her cheek and his hair had fallen against her forehead were burned into her brain for all eternity. She’d never be able to forget the feeling of his lips on hers. </p><p>But, she had… <em> insisted </em> on professionalism. And he had agreed, and she wasn’t going to be sending him mixed messages. That would be <em> wrong.  </em></p><p>So. One fake date at a time. There were only a few more to go, anyway. This one. And then five more, she realized with a groan. So they were half done. She could do this. She hoped. </p><p>“Hi,” Rey said, shyly, closing her car door. She’d seen him less than twenty-four hours earlier; how was he so much more… <em> everything </em> than she remembered? For his part, Ben was looking a little out of breath.</p><p>“Thanks for texting this morning,” Ben began. “I want…I want to help you see this project through. Make it a huge success. I promise, I can be professional.”</p><p>Rey nodded, not trusting her voice to respond. They made their way into the shop where Rey introduced herself to the owner, a petite, dimpled woman named Rose Tico, who Ben remembered from high school at Coruscant Prep. Rose and Ben quickly caught up and were laughing about old times and Rey just rolled with it, no longer surprised that Ben could somehow turn Coruscant into the world’s smallest town. </p><p>“Yeah,” Rose was saying, “I just got engaged!” She looked from Ben to Rey and back, her dark eyes glinting as she watched them. “How long have you two been dating?”  </p><p>“Us? Oh—no no no,” began Rey, her eyes bugging out as Ben shook his head in over-emphasized seriousness. Rose laughed, a good-natured cackle that covered up the remainder of their joint denials. </p><p>Unable to help herself, Rey glanced at Ben who gave her a small, <em> what can ya do? </em> smile that only made her want to kiss him more, if that was possible. Her eyes lingered for a moment on his lips before she remembered <em> she wasn’t going to do that. </em></p><p>Once Rose contained her giggles, she led them to a table where there were four mini mugs and various pieces of candy arranged at each sitting. Directing Rey and Ben to take a seat next to each other, Rose launched into an explanation of the various types and flavors that went into making hot chocolate, providing them samples, and explaining how those flavors were enhanced by a piece of peppermint or other sweet. Ben did his best to pay attention, but Rey’s smooth lips and fresh scent were the only thing in the room on which his brain would willingly focus. He wiped his hands down his thighs and his heart <em> pounded. </em> She was so infuriatingly close, he could grab her and pull her into his lap and <em> oh, </em> how he wanted to touch her. </p><p>Having gone through the lesson, Rose poured a few extra sips of each hot drink into Rey and Ben's mugs and handed them papers for making tasting notes. </p><p>“So if you have any questions—” she said, as the ring of a phone interrupted her. “Sorry, I’ve got to get that, I’m a little short-handed today. I’ll be back in a few. Drink up!”</p><p>Left alone in the tasting room, Ben’s inner caveman roared, eager to be freed, as Rey took a sip of her cocoa. He watched as she held the delicate mug to her soft mouth and then licked her lips as she swallowed, making a small sound of pleasure as she did so. Ben was transfixed, begging himself to be sensible and stop staring at Rey, but then she slid a peppermint stick between her teeth and sucked on the end of it, giving it a little roll between her fingers and now Ben was the one involuntarily making little sounds of gratification. Only he wasn't drinking any chocolate or tasting any candy. </p><p>Quickly, Rey looked up at Ben, her eyes wide. She pulled the peppermint out of her mouth with a small smacking noise and dropped it on the table, her chest heaving, not taking her eyes off Ben’s.</p><p>“Rey,” Ben said quickly, “I lied; I don’t think I can keep this professional for you. I’ll go.”</p><p>“Ben,” Rey nearly yelled, grabbing him by his coat collar and dragging him back into his seat. “Don’t," she whispered, now that he was close and moving closer. His hand went to her thigh, pulling her towards him.</p><p>He opened his mouth to <em> make sure, </em> but Rey was already there, her chocolatey lips parted, bittersweet and spreading for his tongue, as he licked at the peppermint coating her mouth. </p><p>With a moan, Ben pulled her into his lap and deepened the kiss, holding her head at the perfect angle for him to <em> devour </em> her, his palm against her neck and jaw, his fingertips lightly pulling at her hair to guide her. </p><p>Rey’s heart was galloping away with her common sense. She felt reckless and <em> free, </em>like nothing else mattered and Ben’s hands roaming her body made it easy to pretend that was true. </p><p>Back and forth they went, her tongue in his mouth, his tongue in hers, her arms clinging around his neck until— </p><p>“Oh! Excuse me,” Rose exclaimed as Ben and Rey jumped in surprise. “Are we still not dating?” she chided good-humoredly. “Maybe just not yet?” </p><p>Apparently not expecting an answer, she turned from the room as Ben pulled slightly back; Rey hid her face in his shoulder, blushing. </p><p>“Rey,” Ben hummed, “Baby, you need to take a picture.”</p><p>“Wha?” sighed Rey, nuzzling Ben's earlobe. </p><p>“For the twitter feed,” he groaned, as Rey’s teeth scissored on the shell of his ear. “Now take a picture of us on this goddamn date or I’ll take a picture of you in my lap with my hand up your shirt.”</p><p>Rey pulled back, and gave Ben a little punch in the shoulder. “So mean.”</p><p>“You like it,” he snapped back, giving her butt a swat as she slid back into her own chair. </p><p>The picture that went up on twitter that afternoon was a little blurry. Neither of the subjects looked directly at the camera, unable to take their eyes off each other, laughingly happy and surrounded by sweetness, both literally and metaphorically. </p><p>The candy canes in their hands did nothing to distract from the hearts in their eyes.</p><p>🍫</p><p>When Ben slid back in the driver’s seat of his car after kissing Rey for twenty minutes against her Corolla, the smell of roses, baked into the passenger compartment from the bouquet he’d left behind, hit him like a freight train. He sneezed twice and rolled down the window, taking the time to check his cell phone before getting on the road. </p><p>Two missed calls, one from Snoke, one from his mother. </p><p>Two text messages, from those same two people that read the exact same way.</p><p>
  <em> “Call me.” </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks to <a href="https://www.twitter.com/darlingreadsal1">darling Kendal</a> for helping me with Rey's innuendo.  Her fun laser tag at Halloween fic <a href="https://t.co/TM3OUG5fT8">Flash in the Dark</a> is recently off anon and quite a bit of fun!</p><p>Comments &amp; kudos are always appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. You're Giving Me 'Clause' for Concern</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rey and Ben have another day of dates. They spend the morning at his Uncle Luke's aviary and Rey learns some Skywalker family history. That afternoon, they watch Elf at the second run theater. But before they can meet up that evening to view the holiday lights in one of Coruscant's fanciest neighborhoods, Ben runs into his old boss...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for your patience! After too many weeks away, I have returned with the last two chapters of this fic. Apparently, if you give your characters many problems in the first part of a fic, it takes a lot of work and words to solve those problems in a somewhat satisfactory way in the second part of a fic! This is apparently called "plot" and I do not like it! </p>
<p>Many thanks, as always, to Em, for keeping me on the straight and narrow.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rey was concerned. She was </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span> that she and Ben were on the brink of something special. But after their kisses at Coruscandyland, he hadn’t called that evening, just sent a text that said, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Where can I meet you tomorrow?</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’d sent him the location with a text saying she was looking forward to another full day of dates. And even though he hadn’t responded, all she wanted to do was snuggle back up in his strong arms and let his delicious lips and sinful tongue make her forget she was risking her professional reputation by being with him at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next morning, they met for coffee and what Rey had hoped would be a fun joint planning session. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want to get another three dates done today, what do you think?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked up at Ben when he didn’t respond; he was looking at his phone and she cleared her throat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, of course, that sounds good,” he mumbled. His thumbs stopped moving and his phone went </span>
  <em>
    <span>boop. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Whatever you think, Rey.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The hairs on the back of Rey’s neck stood on end like little prickly soldiers, prepping for a coming skirmish, but she didn’t say anything. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pick your battles,</span>
  </em>
  <span> that’s what Mayor Organa always said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their first stop that morning was inspired by Ben’s own idea: Skywalker Aviary, which was run by Ben’s Uncle Luke. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How many uncles do you have? Rey asked, bewildered, as Ben and copped to having at least one more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even though it felt like the dead of winter outside, Luke Skywalker was wearing a short-sleeved button up with a tropical bird pattern, khaki-colored cargo shorts, and Birkenstocks under thick woolen socks. He was accompanied by Yoda, a medium-sized parrot that sat on his shoulder whistling the Galaxy Battles theme song and randomly saying funny things like, “welcome, you are,” each time someone entered the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yoda did quite a bit of speaking as Ben constantly excused himself during the tour, stepping outside, taking calls, or glaring at his phone while he lagged behind, texting constantly. Rey tried to cut him some slack—this was his Uncle’s business, surely he’d been on the tour before—but why was he so uninterested in spending time with her?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Welcome, you are, young Skywalker,” warbled Yoda, as Ben caught up with Rey and Luke by the door of one of the outdoor sections of the aviary, containing large water tanks full of African Penguins. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luke had decorated this section of the aviary with holiday lights and set up a special display for the penguins, which, despite all his educational efforts to the contrary, people still associated with the holidays even though penguins didn’t live at the North Pole. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luke stayed inside with Yoda while Rey snapped a few pictures of her and Ben crouching by the tank, penguins zooming in the water behind them. She examined her camera. She’d have her work cut out for her this time picking a good picture for the tweet. Ben seemed preoccupied, lips firm and brow drawn. There was one picture where he was at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>looking </span>
  </em>
  <span>at a penguin, and that would have to do. It was okay. Not everyone was comfortable around birds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey kids,” Luke said affably, his kind blue eyes shifting keenly between Ben and Rey as they re-entered the main building. “How about we all grab some lunch? My treat.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” smiled Rey, “that sounds lovely,” at the same moment Ben grunted, “Sorry, can’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both turned to stare at Ben. “You go on ahead,” he directed, already walking backwards, towards the door. “There’s just some things I need to take care of—Rey, I’ll meet you at the movie theater at two—promise!” He was out the door before either could say a word.   </span>
</p>
<p>🐧</p>
<p>
  <span>“So Luke,” Rey said, after swallowing the first bite of her burger. “How did you come to own an aviary?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no,” Luke chuckled. “We’ll have plenty of time for small talk over the years—” Rey’s face scrunched in confusion at his choice of words. “Leia will roast me alive if I don’t figure out what’s going on between you and Ben.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rey chuckled uncomfortably and a little sarcastically. “Well if you figure it out, let me know—” cutting off in surprise when Luke laughed right along with her, his jovial manner and kind blue eyes, melting her polite smile into a genuine grin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He waved his hands, disarmingly. “I don’t mean to put you on the spot, but, back at the aviary it did seem like there was something—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh. Well,” she stammered. “That’s—I mean, he’s my boss’ son. It would be inappropriate—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Inappropriate?” Luke’s look was inscrutable, his tone, amazed. “Rey Niima. Do you know </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything </span>
  </em>
  <span>about my family?”</span>
</p>
<p>🍔</p>
<p>
  <span>“So it was during my mother Padmé’s second term as mayor, that the scandal broke about her secret marriage with Anakin, who by then was Chief of Police!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rey doubled over with laughter, Luke’s recitation of the Skywalker-Solo family hijinks having placed her in stitches. Between the clandestine relationships and barely legal business ventures, there wasn’t any type of scandal the family hadn’t courted over the last three generations. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like I said, Han still had mobsters after him when he and Leia first met, and she was already in politics.” Luke wiped his eyes, chuckling. “So no, Rey, I don’t think you and Ben dating would even register on the list of Skywalker family scandals. Certainly no one in this town would blink an eye.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rey nodded, the kindness in Luke’s tone making her brave. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben is… no ordinary guy,” she admitted haltingly, encouraged as Luke nodded, poured a large dollop of ketchup on the side of his plate, and pushed his leftover fries towards her. She felt the dam break. “I’ve never felt this way about someone before… and what if I never do again? What if he was the one? And I didn’t pursue the relationship because…” She raised her hands horizontally, the universal symbol for </span>
  <em>
    <span>why.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you kids these days aren’t into the same philosophical shit like my generation, but if you asked me, I’d say life is too short for that either/or way of thinking. Not everything is black and white, light and darkness. Sometimes it’s shades of gray.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rey nodded. “You’re saying it’s a false choice. I can have both; a career at city hall, and the man of my dreams.” Having finished the fries, she collected all the silverware, aligning each utensil side by side on the empty platter. “I’ve been creating rules and setting these limitations to protect myself. But…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But life is messy, and sometimes, you have to bend the rules. Especially if you find something special with someone.” Luke winked. “But don't tell Ben I said so, he’ll never let me hear the end of it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rey released a deep breath, feeling the tension she’d been holding in her neck and shoulders melt away. She was determined; she wouldn’t let any misguided risk-aversion hold her back from finding true happiness. Not if Ben wanted her in his life as much as she wanted him in hers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>🦌</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Waving goodbye to Luke, Rey drove to the Millennium Theater, Coruscant’s second run movie house, for a screening of Elf—one of her favorite movies.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had the tickets in hand and waited under the marquee for Ben, glancing at her phone every few minutes to ensure she hadn’t missed a text or a call. Where was he? She wanted to tell him so badly about her revelation. That she wasn’t worried about how their relationship would look to the world. She wanted to be with him. Nothing else mattered. But the longer she waited, the more she worried that he might not feel the same.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Where was he?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two minutes before the movie started, her phone rang and she answered before the caller ID popped up on the screen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No…” Leia’s voice crackled through the receiver. “I was hoping you could tell me where he was. I asked him to call me last night, but I haven’t heard from him and wanted to make sure he was alright. Did he turn his phone off?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He hasn’t called you?” Rey huffed in irritation. “He’s been on his phone all day, taking calls, sending texts, I—” Dread rolled down Rey’s spine in a jittery, uncomfortable wave</span>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She began to pace up and down the sidewalk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Rey?” Leia’s voice was rich with concern. “What’s wrong?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mayor Organa—” Rey began. “I may have made a mistake—Ben and I—” Rey cut off as she turned to pace back towards the marquee and saw Ben walking towards her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben and— what dear, what is it?” Leia’s voice echoed in her ear as Ben approached, a heated, angry look in his eyes and he popped the collar on his coat. Sleet began to fall and Rey scurried under the marquee to avoid the worst of it, meeting Ben there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s here,” she whispered into the phone, Ben standing mere inches from her, looking down into her face, lips pinched and brows furrowed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took the phone from her hand and glanced at the screen before placing it on his ear. “Mom,” he said, his voice low and even, “we’re fine, I’ll call you later.” He disconnected the call and, his lips quirking down in a frown, grabbed Rey by the hand and dragged her into the theater. “Let’s go, we’re late.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>🎄</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rey could scream. She wasn’t sure why she was going through the motions at this point. She and Ben didn’t need to </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> sit through the entire movie, she could walk outside, get their picture taken under the marquee, tweet the damn tweet and call it a day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Ben got up for the fourth time during the movie to take a phone call, she decided to do just that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben was standing outside by the box office, just out of reach of the sleet, when Rey came storming out of the theater. The icy rain made a sizzling, tinkling noise against the sidewalk and Rey crossed her arms to keep warm, and to hide the fact that she was wearing the mittens he’d bought her. Had that only been four days ago? It felt like a lifetime. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben saw her approach; ending his call, he slipped his phone in his pocket with a sigh. “Rey, I’m sorry—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just shut it.” She shook her head in annoyance. “Let’s just take a picture and then you can get out of here, get on with whatever is more important—” was as far as she got before her face began to fall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben pulled her into a hug that she didn’t return, body stiff as he held her. “Nothing is more important than… this,” he whispered into her hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have a daft way of showing it,” she mumbled, face smooshed into the lapel of his peacoat, unable to muster the energy to continue to be mad at him. It was easy to let him off the hook when in his arms everything felt so </span>
  <em>
    <span>right.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben didn’t let her go. “We can do this. We’ll finish the campaign and then I promise you, we’ll figure </span>
  <em>
    <span>us </span>
  </em>
  <span>out. It’ll be okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I really like you Ben, and I’m not going to let my job be a deterrent, but I’m—I’m scared.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll make it worth your while,” Ben promised as Rey’s hands slowly, barely, met behind his back. “And don’t be afraid. I feel it too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took a quick selfie of them at the theater, more atmospheric than cheerful, with the theater’s bright lights against a darkened sky, their faces close together but in shadow.</span>
</p>
<p>🌨️</p>
<p>
  <span>When the movie ended, it was mid-afternoon, the sun just starting to set. As they exited the Millennium, Rey checked her messages. Unfortunately, she needed to run back to the office to take care of a few things, leaving Ben on his own for a few hours. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They parted with a plan to meet up later to view Christmas lights in one of Coruscant’s fancier neighborhoods. It wasn’t exactly tied to a small business, but Rey wanted to make sure that some of the dates were inexpensive as possible or even free, so that couples who didn’t have a lot of extra cash to splurge on holiday dating could still participate in the contest. Ben nodded; it hadn’t even occurred to him that these dates had all cost quite a bit of money. Rey was so thoughtful. Always thinking of things that never occurred to him.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he walked back to the car, he didn’t check for messages or missed calls, deciding instead to step into a grungy local bar he used to frequent back when he worked for First Order Pharmaceuticals. It would be a fine place to kill some time while he waited for Rey to be done at work. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt bad over how he’d treated her that morning at the aviary and wished he’d explained things better at the movie theater. After their kiss at the candy store, he’d felt so confident—smooth sailing from here on out—but there had been an unexpected twist that he hadn’t been prepared to handle: Mitaka and Phasma, his fellow associates from First Order, kept blowing up his phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had started last night, almost immediately after he’d left Coruscandyland. He’d been amped up on the taste of Rey’s lips, blood thrumming through him at an accelerated pace, and it had made him reckless. He had answered the phone when he saw the call was from Mitaka, even though he knew better. But he’d done it anyway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben had lost track of time on a grand scale. Snoke’s trial, which, when he’d quit, had seemed to loom far off in the future, had in fact started </span>
  <em>
    <span>that morning. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>happening.</span>
  </em>
  <span> So maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised when Phasma texted him a bunch of questions or that Mitaka called to ask him about facts that he’d long forgotten. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even though he shut them down he couldn’t bring himself to shut them out. He’d left Phasma and Mitaka in the lurch and they’d been nothing but good comrades in arms during his time at First Order. Snoke’s crimes—</span>
  <em>
    <span>alleged crimes</span>
  </em>
  <span>—weren’t their fault. Regardless, he roiled with guilt at helping them even the slightest bit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn’t bring himself to look at Rey’s shining, open, honest face much less explain to her what was going on when First Order was—ultimately—defending a man who disregarded the lives of sick </span>
  <em>
    <span>children</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Ben had been a part of that dark business and he still felt stained by its evil; corrupted and unworthy. And Mitaka and Phasma’s calls and texts meant he was part of it still.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So being around Uncle Luke, with his aura of down-home wholesomeness, was salt in the wound. And of course Luke and Rey seemed to get along great. Two good-natured, caring, compassionate peas in a pod. Ben could never, would never, be as good a person as to deserve someone like Rey. She only seemed into him because she didn’t know how awful he had been. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which is why it felt like the lumpy fruit cocktail of Ben’s wretched destiny had perfectly congealed into one messy Christmas cake when Snoke walked through the door and took a seat next to Ben at the bar. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wary, Ben nodded slowly in an amazed sort of greeting as Snoke ordered his drink. What was Snoke doing here? What kind of psychopath who was currently on trial took time out of his evening to track down an ex-employee at a dive bar? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Snoke eyed Ben with a shrewd, piercing glance, his pink, wrinkled face screwing up in disappointment as he watched Ben take a sip of his scotch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Such a shame you left the company,” Snoke began. “I was so looking forward to watching your legal career progress, my boy.” Snoke’s voice was rough like jagged fingernails on a chalkboard, and Ben suppressed a shudder. “It’s been over a month now, young Solo. Still unemployed?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben thought about it. Obviously he’d been preoccupied with helping Rey the last few days, so he hadn’t been focused on finding a job. He had some savings; he would be okay for a while. But something about the way Snoke’s voice was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>insinuating</span>
  </em>
  <span> made his hair stand on end. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As if Snoke was reading Ben’s mind, the old man continued. “It must be that charming young Ms. Niima, distracting you from a proper job search.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben did his best to school his features, wishing he had a mask to wear when meeting with Snoke. The man was a master manipulator and could extrapolate Ben’s thoughts as if by magic from the merest microexpression. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve been helping with a chamber of commerce campaign—” Ben’s voice was hollow, even to his own ears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t wish you were actually dating that girl?” Snoke interrupted, sounding sarcastically curious.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben couldn’t help the spasm that he knew crossed his face at that moment. A tightening of his eyes, a slight puffing of his cheeks. His gut churned. He may as well have written Snoke a dissertation on his feelings for Rey.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you even know about her?” Snoke asked, a dark tone coloring his otherwise innocent question. “Such a pretty thing must have a good number of boyfriends to choose from.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben took a large swig of scotch, and stared darkly at the back of the bar, remembering Rey’s upcoming date with Finn, the Marine with the megawatt smile. He wouldn’t blame anyone for finding a friendly, even-tempered guy like that doubly attractive when wearing a sharp dress uniform. And by comparison, who was </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Some unemployed asshole who couldn’t even treat her nice for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>day</span>
  </em>
  <span> and didn’t deserve her in the first place. He took another long drink, finishing the scotch, before turning back to Snoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Her social life is her own business.” It was not the greatest comeback. To Ben’s surprise, the bartender replaced his drink without him asking for another, but he put half of it away in a single gulp regardless. “I’m just doing my civic duty,” his voice rasped like sandpaper. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm,” said Snoke. “I’m sure.”</span>
</p>
<p>🥃</p>
<p>
  <span>Ben slumped against the bar and flagged the bartender down for another glass of water as Sinatra warbled about being home for Christmas if only in his dreams. Snoke had left twenty minutes ago and he shook his head to clear it. What had he been thinking, sitting there, drinking too much while Snoke baited him, when he had to meet up with Rey for a date?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fumbling in his pocket for a phone, he called for a Lyft. The stress of tolerating Snoke’s presence may have warped his common sense when it came to the amount of alcohol he imbibed, but he wasn’t going to try driving. Luckily, the ride arrived quickly; he’d make it to their date on time. Clutching the armrest of the car, he took deep breaths to calm his stomach and focused on getting to Rey. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Arriving at the small park that bordered the neighborhood, he found Rey standing near a group of people surrounded by boxes of holiday lights. The strings of lights were hopelessly tangled and Rey was laughing as she helped another woman stretch and twist the cords into a straight line. She was so cheerful and happy, and even though he was standing far away from her, all the way across the street, he instinctively swayed towards her. Every inch he could be closer to her was better. He lurched a little to the side. Gosh, she was pretty.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He breathed in deep through his nose and felt his eyes crossing so he closed them for a moment. He had made it. Feeling himself start to circle in place, he looked around, took a few steps forward and made eye contact with Rey. She smiled and waved, but her face twitched in confusion as he waved back. Ben realized he was standing in the middle of the street. He looked down at his feet. They weren’t moving. He looked back up at pretty Rey; she was coming towards him—there were two of her coming towards him, actually—two pairs of her lovely green eyes full of worry. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Why was she worried though? Was it him? Rey crossed the street in long, dizzying strides, still holding onto a tangled string of lights. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben?” the concern in her voice was evident. “Are you okay? You look a little pale—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I—” he hiccupped and Rey’s eyes went wide in alarm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re drunk,” she hissed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head. “I’m okay. I’m okay. I just need—” he rubbed his face, forcing his eyes to focus. “I just need… I need you, pretty Rey.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Rey’s voice was sad. “Ben, what are you saying?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We haven’t talked about,” he waved his hands between them, “what </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> is, but it’s a good thing, right? It’s good. We should—” He regained his balance and stifled a burp. “We should get out of town. Away from everything, from Snoke, from my mom, just— everything.” His mouth fell open as a brilliant idea occurred to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s go to the airport. Right now. I’ll get us tickets to Hawaii. Tahiti. Anywhere you want to go. Just, let’s just go. Let go— leave all this behind. The City, First Order, all of it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ben, no,” she blurted, following it up with a sad little smile. “We just met…” Ben blinked slowly as she continued. “It kind of feels like we’ve known each other forever, right? But I’m in the middle of this project, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>how important this is to me, I—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She trailed off as Ben held out his hand, as focused as he could manage. “Join me.” His words slurred together slightly as he angled his body towards her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Please.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rey clutched the blue lights to her chest, taking a small step back. “I still have two more dates to advertise. Two more small businesses counting on me.” Her face crumpled. Ben knew she was thinking about how she’d been trusted with this project, how she believed that everything she’d worked so hard for was in the balance. Before he could formulate a response— </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Goodbye, Ben,” she said, eyes downcast. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood frozen for a minute, maybe longer, his brain moving too slowly to be sure of what was happening. He shook his head to clear it, but the next thing he knew, he was alone. </span>
</p>
<p>🌟</p>
<p>
  <span>Shoulders drooping, Ben entered his dark apartment, tossing his keys and his coat on the floor, not bothering to turn on any lights. He kicked off his shoes and bumped his way into the kitchen where he grabbed a glass and his Brita pitcher out of the refrigerator and made his way back to the living room. On the couch, he forced himself to drink water before shucking off his sweater and jeans, his body tacky with sweat, a by-product of his scotch-infused bloodstream. Slumped over in his boxers and undershirt, he wallowed in self-pity and drank some more water. What an absolute fuck up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wiping his face with the hem of his t-shirt, he reached for his cell phone. He knew what he had to do… and within seconds, the phone was ringing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello?” rasped a familiar voice on the other side. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dad?” </span>
</p>
<p>🔔</p>
<p>
  <span>Lying on her couch, Rey turned down the volume on the random Hallmark movie she’d queued up as she rubbed her thumb across her phone, considering. She should </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> text Ben. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>should </span>
  </em>
  <span>post the clue for the Christmas date on twitter. She gritted her teeth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No picture of her and Ben, of course, but she could make do. Luckily, before he’d arrived, with his ridiculous proposal, she’d taken some pictures of the houses in holiday lights. She swiped through the shots of colorful displays and inflatables, and attached four of the most festive to her tweet. She typed out her clue carefully.</span>
</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>For a romantic outing, head to this spot and enjoy the holidays ‘an awful watt.’</span>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>“And send tweet,” she muttered to herself as she pushed the blue button. She laid back, dropped the phone on her chest and rubbed her eyes. What had happened? Ben had </span>
  <em>
    <span>promised</span>
  </em>
  <span> to help, he knew how important this project was to her. They had really connected, hadn't they? So what the heck happened?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wrapped her arms around herself feeling hollow and stupid and sad for wishing he’d just been there for her tonight and was with her now.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Hallmark movie was in its third act. The heroine, who Rey remembered from a tv show that had been popular when she was a kid, was about to return to the big city—on Christmas Eve, no less—rather than remain in the rural town she’d grown up in and reunite with her high school sweetheart who now ran the town diner. Rey sighed as the heroine had a heart to heart with a chubby old man with a white beard—who for sure was not </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> Santa Claus—and was convinced to stay in town. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The scene ended and Rey jumped as her phone buzzed on her belly, tickling her through her sweater. Holding it up to read the notification, her hand twitched in shock as she saw it was a call from Mayor Organa. She gasped and dropped her phone on her face, her eyes watering as her nose throbbed in pain. Flailing, Rey scrambled up to sit cross-legged and tried to answer the phone before it went to voicemail.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello!” Rey winced; her voice squeaked impossibly high. “Mayor Organa? How can I help—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did he do?” the Mayor interrupted Rey, who was stunned into silence. “Well, let me rephrase,” the Mayor sounded wryly amused. “I think I know what he did—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh?” Rey asked vaguely, as Leia made a noise of confirmation. “It’s okay, he just wasn’t feeling well—I was able to get the tweet up, it was alright.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that so?” Leia asked. “So you won’t mind if I tell him where to meet you tomorrow morning for the next date?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh…” Rey’s brain was racing. The idea of seeing him again so soon made her insides feel crunchy and raw. Still, she bit her tongue rather than blurt out </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t kid a kidder, Rey.” Leia sighed. “You shouldn’t be in this position. If Ben’s not working out—well—I’d hoped being involved with this project would have been good for him. But he’s still processing his time with First Order and Snoke. Not always in the most healthy ways,” she added with a sad chuckle. “And I didn’t take into account how that would impact you. You’re doing a wonderful job. And I’m sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rey felt some of her anger deflate as she heard Leia’s sad, worried tone. She’d been so wrapped up in her project she’d forgotten all about the First Order. Ben had looked </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrecked </span>
  </em>
  <span>tonight; something must have happened to him and she hadn’t even tried to figure it out. The deep sadness in his eyes when she’d turned him down was beginning to haunt her. He’d needed her—even if he’d gone about asking for her support in a ridiculous way—and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted </span>
  </em>
  <span>her. And she wanted him back, too. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, really.” She sighed, knowing this might be incredibly naïve, giving Ben another chance. “If he wants to help, then—then I’d like that, too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Leia hummed. “Can I at least tell him where you’ll be, so he can apologize?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure,” Rey said, giving Leia the details. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Leia’s smile was evident in her tone. “Oh, and Rey?” she asked, right before disconnecting the call. “Interesting replies to your tweet tonight.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Rey heard the Mayor hang up, she swiped open her twitter app and checked the City’s notifications. Her mouth fell open and she covered it with her free hand. The first reply seemed innocuous enough, but those that followed were decidedly </span>
  <em>
    <span>not.</span>
  </em>
</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>“Where’s the picture of our happy holiday couple?” </span>
    <span>read the first tweet.</span>
  </p>
  <p>
    <span>“No Solo and Niima this time out? Aww, I miss their faces!” went the next.</span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>Notifications were piling up as Rey scanned the replies. It was easy to see where many of them came from—Bazine Netal had quote-tweeted her—and the over one hundred responses were nothing like what Rey expected:</span>
</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>“Trouble in holiday paradise?” Bazine’s quote-tweet read. “No happy picture of Rey Niima and Ben Solo tonight? Is #Reylo doomed?” </span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>“Oh god,” Rey felt dizzy. Hashtag Reylo? </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’d smoosh-named them.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The replies to Baz’s tweet were dramatic and histrionic. </span>
</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>“WTF! If Ben and Rey aren’t dating I don’t believe in love anymore!”</span>
  </p>
  <p>
    <span>“Please tell me they’re ok. If anything happens to Reylo </span>
    <em>
      <span>I WILL D WORD.</span>
    </em>
    <span>”</span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>The final one had tagged in the Coruscant Chamber of Commerce, Rey saw with a wince, and simply read:</span>
</p>

<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>“Bring back Reylo! #Reylo forever!”</span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>She continued to scroll through the replies, which were racking up likes and retweets by the dozens. People really wanted to see them back together. And if Rey was being honest with herself, she wanted to see them back together, too. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We are in the home stretch! The final chapter will be posted this week. Thank you all for sticking with me, it means so much!  </p>
<p>Come say hi <a href="https://www.twitter.com/spoonfulofsalad">on twitter</a>!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. We're 'Peppermint' to Be Together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After his drunken proposal to run away together blows up in his face, Ben seeks out Rey to apologize. Can she forgive him--and if she does--will she only want to be friends? </p>
<p>Join Rey and Ben on the last leg of their 12 dates adventure with the last two dates - making a gingerbread house and visiting a Christmas tree farm!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well we've finally made it to the end here, I hope the journey has been as fun for you to read as it has for me to write! </p>
<p>When we last left Rey and Ben things were looking pretty bleak! But this is a Reylo Hallmark fic... HEA guaranteed <em>and</em> this is where we finally earn that long-awaited M rating *ahem.*</p>
<p>Please <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/no_big_deal/profile">click here</a> to subscribe for notification of my future fics! I look forward to seeing you next time!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p>
<p>The next morning, Ben blew out a deep breath and entered the small neighborhood bakeshop where he knew Rey would be.</p>
<p>It had been a long shot, calling his parents and asking for help. But they had come through like champs. Though he hadn’t said anything about his feelings for Rey, it felt like they were supportive of his desire to help her, no ulterior motives at all. Even after his dad mentioned having an “interesting” conversation with Uncle Chewie… all he felt was that he was wrapped up in his family’s compassion and support. He didn’t deserve it, but he could at least act like he was worthy of it.</p>
<p>Straightening his shoulders, Ben had asked if Leia knew where Rey would be for the eleventh date, and she’d been able to figure it out in minutes: a bakeshop called “BB-8’s Cups &amp; Cakes,” with an appointment scheduled for ten in the morning.</p>
<p>Ben was there right on time. </p>
<p>He entered the door to a jingling bell, but the shop was empty. The display cases were lined full of cupcakes and ridiculous amounts of colorful frosting-covered pastries of all varieties. The walls were a pale pink and decorated for the holidays. The sharp scent of sugar filled the air, and <em> All I Want for Christmas is You </em> burbled through the sound system. Ben took a deep breath. As good a place as any to make it up to Rey, if she’d let him. </p>
<p>Hearing voices, he peeked around an open door behind the storefront and into a back kitchen area. Rey was there, adorable in a ponytail with her sleeves rolled up, a white apron covering her holiday-patterned blouse as she twisted a jelly roll on an island countertop. She looked up and smiled at her baking partner, with whom she was elbow to elbow: a handsome man with wavy hair and sensuous dark eyes. He gave Rey a sleepy smile in return. </p>
<p>Ben gritted his teeth. He’d been replaced. Well. He couldn’t blame her. He didn’t have to like it, but he couldn’t blame her. </p>
<p>Standing side by side, Rey and her new date rolled the dough up together and a tickle of familiarity began itching in Ben’s brain. He <em> recognized </em>the man who Rey had found to be her new date—but he couldn’t place him. He narrowed his eyes. </p>
<p>“See,” the man said as he and Rey completed the jelly roll, “I told you, easy.” His dark hair flopped against his forehead as he leaned across the counter for a hand towel, then jumped when saw Ben standing there. “Oh, hello—” he began, before his face opened in a happy gleeful shock that confused Ben as much as it relieved him. <em> “Ben?” </em> the man was asking. “Ben Solo?”</p>
<p>It came back in a rush. “Oh my god,” Ben laughed. “Of course, Poe Dameron—” but Poe had jogged around the island and enveloped Ben in a bear hug. “It’s been, what? Fifteen years?” Ben looked at Rey over Poe’s head but her face was very still, emotionless except for curiosity. Not meeting Ben’s eyes, she picked up the towel Poe had dropped and twisted it in her hands. </p>
<p>“Rey,” Poe said, turning back towards her. “This is Ben Solo,” he introduced, steamrolling over Rey’s attempt to interrupt. “We were like, what? Best friends in junior high? We were <em> inseparable </em>back in the day. Then my parents moved us back to Yavin, where I was born. We lost touch. It’s so good to see you, man!” Poe slapped his shoulder again. “I only recently moved back to Coruscant and opened the shop,” he said gesturing to the kitchen. </p>
<p>“So this is your business? That’s amazing.” Ben nodded towards Rey, tracking her features with worried eyes. “And you’re involved in the holiday scavenger hunt too? Smart man.”</p>
<p>“Yeah? You know about that?” Poe asked, looking intently between Rey and Ben and back to Rey.</p>
<p>“You haven’t been following the City’s twitter account,” Ben said, hoping to get a rise out of Rey, and was rewarded when her lips twisted into a grin she couldn’t quite suppress. “I’ve been helping Rey over the last week with the promotional activities. Well, at least, I’m trying to—” he began, but Poe cut him off.  </p>
<p>“Say no more my friend. Take off your coat. Toss it in my office back there. I’ll get you an apron, I’m sure we have one in your size,” he laughed and slapped Ben on the back one final time before jogging out of the kitchen. </p>
<p>With a deep breath, Ben dropped his coat, rolling up his sleeves as he walked towards Rey. He thought for a second he might have caught her checking him out, but it was the merest brush of her eyes on his forearms before she was blinking down at the countertop. </p>
<p>“I can’t believe you know Poe too,” she muttered. Before Ben could say anything, she turned to him. Her voice was kind, but firm. “You didn’t have to come today.” </p>
<p>“I wanted to, Rey, I had to apologize for last night. I was—” He shook his head. “What<em> I was </em> doesn’t matter. You were counting on me. I let you down and I’ll make it right if you let me. If it’s not too late.” He swallowed as Rey continued to avoid his eyes.</p>
<p>To Ben’s relief, Rey agreed, nodding her head, slowly. “I appreciate that. The campaign has been such a success. Based on the feedback we received after last night, I think it would be for the best if we complete it as planned.” She finally looked up at him, her light green eyes alight with resolve. </p>
<p>Ben nodded. Of course. The <em> campaign: </em> the only reason Rey was partaking in these activities in the first place. How many times did he have to remind himself that <em> these weren’t real dates? </em> Rey had said she liked him and their <em> kiss </em> sure as hell had been real. They could be good together, but their actual dates were her <em> job. </em> She’d be here with someone else if he’d turned Leia down. He gritted his teeth. </p>
<p>“I mean, we’re still friends right?” she asked softly, her eyes falling to his chest, to the floor, her face contracting as if she’d tasted something disgusting. And this hurt, the idea that maybe he’d blown it with Rey. His eyes traced the outline of her lips, those dear, sweet lips he’d do anything to kiss again. It hurt a lot, but he forced himself to remember how despicably he’d acted last night. It hurt, and he deserved it. </p>
<p>“Yes,” he agreed. “Yes. Okay.”</p>
<p>“Here you go, Ben,” Poe announced, breaking the moment, handing Ben an extra-large apron, and tying it behind him once Ben had looped it over his head. “Now let’s get to making gingerbread houses!”</p>
<p>🏚️</p>
<p>Poe left Rey and Ben to their own devices as he puttered in and around his kitchen, moving between his front counter or office, checking in on them periodically to make sure they had everything they needed from candy canes to gumdrops to graham crackers.</p>
<p>They had decided on a small design for their house. Ben couldn’t help but notice how Rey looked wistfully at the frosting-outlined windows and the trim made of red licorice. She dropped different sized gumdrops around the perimeter and used them to prop up a little fence constructed with pretzel sticks. </p>
<p>“It’s a nice house,” Ben commented, breaking their silence which hadn’t been awkward, but hadn’t been entirely easy either. Ben kept catching Rey <em> looking </em> at him, but her wide, light eyes fell back to their little house when he tried to return her gaze. Each time, his heart stuttered in his chest. </p>
<p>“It is darling,” Rey mused. “Much nicer than any house I ever lived in growing up,” she said, aiming for humor; it fell flat. She moved a stack of Rolos over towards the front door, her cheeks a riot of color. </p>
<p>Ben gave her a little half smile and cocked his head up as a slow instrumental version of <em> Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas </em>drifted through the room. “It reminds me of my parents’ house from when I was a kid,” he began. “I’d like to live in a place like that, again. Someday.” </p>
<p>For a moment, he imagined sitting on the front steps of a little bungalow with Rey, a dog running around a fenced-in front yard. Rey was smiling; he’d made sure she had everything she wanted—everything she deserved out of life. He protected her and belonged to her and—and—he took a deep breath, chest tight, fighting the urge to ask his <em>friend</em> <em>Rey </em>to go house hunting and spend the rest of her life with him. He changed the subject out of desperation. </p>
<p>“Last night,” he whispered, “Snoke found me—” </p>
<p>Rey’s eyes bugged out with shock. <em> “Ben—” </em></p>
<p>“He mentored me, quite a bit, when I worked for First Order.” Ben’s outer wrist scraped slowly across his eyebrow. “I thought he had all the answers.” He startled as one of Rey’s hands, sticky with sugar came to rest on one of his. He looked down at her and she nodded. Feeling encouraged, he continued. “He has a way of saying things that makes me doubt… myself.” He gazed into her eyes in what he hoped was a meaningful way. “Makes me doubt things I know to be true.” </p>
<p>Rey’s thumb moved slowly over the back of his hand and Ben watched, his heart refusing to believe this was Rey being <em> just friends. </em> </p>
<p>She hummed, her voice low and sad. “Mayor Organa has told me how manipulative and two-faced he can be. He sounds awful. No wonder you wanted to run away last night.” </p>
<p>“Ah, well,” Ben shrugged, construction on the gingerbread house having ground to a halt; he refused to move his hand even a millimeter. The feel of her skin caressing his sent tremors throughout his nervous system and he released a shuddering breath. “Not my greatest moment.”  </p>
<p>His admission shook something loose in Rey’s expression, which turned teasing. “You regret inviting me along? I see how it is.” She patted his hand and got back to work on their house. “You should have just gone to Fiji,” she poked his arm, directing him towards a stack of mini-marshmallows. “You might be there already, lying on the beach, Mai Tai in hand…” She shrugged and leaned forward, her face now very close to his as she whispered, “It sounds wonderful. Maybe I should have said yes.”  </p>
<p>Relief flooded through him and he couldn’t help himself. He winked at her. “Maybe someday you will.”</p>
<p>“Hey you two,” Poe burst into their moment and they jerked back away from each other. “Do you need a picture taken? This would be a good time, if it works for you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Rey agreed, “Just one more thing.” Tapping a sifter of powdered sugar over the top of the house a few times, the perfect dusting of snow on their sweet little house, she nodded at Poe. “We’re ready.”</p>
<p>🍽️</p>
<p>Out of the corner of his eye, Ben watched Rey craft a tweet as he washed and dried his hands at Poe’s industrial sink. </p>
<p>“We still on for dinner next week, Rey?” Poe asked suddenly, causing Ben’s head to whiplash between them; Rey was nodding vigorously, and Snoke was in Ben’s brain, insinuating all sorts of unpleasant things. <em> So many boyfriends... </em></p>
<p>It took Ben a moment to set that thought aside and release the tension in his jaw. It didn’t matter if Rey had a date lined up with every eligible bachelor in Coruscant; he knew they had <em> something, </em> some sort of special connection that he couldn’t—wouldn’t—walk away from.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Poe exclaimed, tapping the side of his head as if he’d just had a brilliant idea. “Ben, how about you join us next week? Make it a double date sort of thing,” he suggested, a hint of flirtation in his voice. </p>
<p>“Oh, well,” Ben gulped, looking at Rey, surprised to see a blush suffuse her cheeks. She smiled at Poe and then turned to Ben—and, well, Ben looked away. This was too much. Even to catch up with an old friend, he couldn’t be the third wheel on this date. Not when he <em> really liked </em> the girl his friend was dating. “I, uh, I wouldn’t have anyone to bring along,” he huffed out in a rush and looked around the room for where he’d put his coat. “Thanks though.”</p>
<p>“Oh, hey, okay,” said Poe with a <em> what the fuck </em> tone to his voice that stopped Ben in his tracks. Rey was frowning with a look of confusion that made her appear desperately sad. Poe wrapped his arm around Rey’s shoulders and gave her an encouraging little shake. “I guess Finn and I will have our little Rey of sunshine all to ourselves, huh?” </p>
<p>Ben stared for a moment. “You and Finn? The other guy Rey’s…” he couldn’t bring himself to say <em> dating. </em> </p>
<p>Poe quirked up an eyebrow. “Finn? My boyfriend? We’re having dinner with Rey next week.” Poe’s eyes narrowed shrewdly. “Sure you can’t make it?”</p>
<p>“Oh,” said Ben. <em> “Oh.” </em></p>
<p>💝</p>
<p><em> “You thought what?” </em> Rey shook her head and stared at the top of Poe’s industrial sized refrigerator, which, obnoxiously, was not that much taller than Ben and yet equally as wide. “I can’t, I can’t even look at you right now,” she said, fighting a smile, biting her lip as she stared belligerently at the wall above his head. </p>
<p>Poe had moved into his office to take a phone call, giving Rey the opportunity to roast Ben properly for his idiocy and allowing him the privilege of begging for her forgiveness.  </p>
<p>“Baby—” Ben began, and at her exaggerated huff of annoyance he amended to, “sweetheart—give me a break huh, the one guy in Coruscant I’ve never met says he’s taking you out to dinner—”</p>
<p>“Literally my best friend since childhood, Finn’s like a brother to me,” Rey ranted, eyes fixed on the ceiling now as Ben moved in closer, taking up more of her frame of vision, blocking out the refrigerator and the gingerbread and everything, until her whole universe was just Ben Solo. “They’re called <em> words, </em> Ben. Humans use them to communicate—” </p>
<p>The She &amp; Him cover of <em> The Christmas Waltz </em>drifted down through the kitchen speakers and Ben pulled one of her hands towards his mouth and kissed between her knuckles, silencing her. As the sight of her hand in his and the feel of his lips on her skin drew her attention, his other hand came up around her waist and pulled her close and off balance. Taking charge, he took a step back and to the side, and they were dancing. She huffed out a giggle as she swayed into him.  </p>
<p>“You want words, I have those.” He nuzzled her hair and took another step forward and to the side, continuing their dance. “There’s something real between us.” She pulled back, her wide, shocked eyes fixed on his. “Something more than friends.” He took another step back and to the side. “And this might not be the right time for us, and that’s fine Rey,” he smiled as he continued to waltz them around the kitchen, her heart thrumming in three-quarter time. “I’ll wait. I’ll wait however long it takes until it’s right for you, too.” </p>
<p>He let her go with a nod. Moving quickly, he grabbed his coat from the office as Rey, stunned into silence, followed him with her eyes. </p>
<p>“Text me where to meet you next, okay?” he asked. Pausing at the door to the kitchen, he returned to her in three large steps, wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, and kissed her soundly. “Date number twelve, I won’t be late,” he promised, and then vanished out the kitchen door.</p>
<p>Rey’s mouth was still hanging open in shock when Poe walked in a minute later. </p>
<p>☕</p>
<p>“Mitaka,” Ben barked into his phone as he poured hot water into his mug. “You gotta lose my number, man.” He settled into his couch with a cup of hot cocoa he’d bought from Rose. </p>
<p>“I will, I will,” his old colleague wearily agreed. “I’ll tell Snoke you blocked me—and Phas too. We wouldn’t have bothered you, but you know how he gets. There was an article about the City’s twitter campaign in last week’s business section. He sees you running around, having fun with a pretty girl, apparently getting along with your mother—otherwise why would you be involved in such a thing—and it drives him nuts. So he has us call you for all that stupid shit. You remember how he gets anytime anyone leaves. It’s all <em> ‘they'll never amount to anything’ </em> and <em> ‘they'll be begging for their job back in no time.’ </em> Goes double for you my man. Plus, the board of directors voted—they’re not waiting for the verdict to come back—First Order’s going to be shut down. They think Snoke’s going to prison. So we’re all free, <em> finally.”  </em></p>
<p>Ben kicked back, stirred the cocoa with a cinnamon-flavored candy cane, and let Mitaka vent. </p>
<p>🌲</p>
<p>That afternoon, Ben picked Rey up at City Hall and drove them to a Christmas tree farm just on the outskirts of town. The skies had cleared and were a bright blue, though the air was bitter cold as they walked from where Ben had parked on the side of the road down the gravel path towards the farm. </p>
<p>“Get constructing in BB-8’s kitchen, where the candy canes are in <em> mint </em>condition,” Ben read Rey’s newly posted tweet as he followed her towards the farm’s front gate. He chuckled. “Not bad.”</p>
<p>“You get it right?” she asked, over her shoulder. “Candy canes are made of peppermint—”</p>
<p>“Yup.” He pressed the lock button on his phone and stuffed it in his pocket. </p>
<p>“And Poe only uses high quality ingredients—”</p>
<p>Ben took a deep, deep breath of pine-scented fresh air. “Of course.”</p>
<p>“It’s a very good pun,” Rey giggled and Ben couldn’t help himself. Rey’s infectious, enchanting laughter was irresistible; he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her front and nuzzled her jawline with his nose, making her laugh even more. </p>
<p>She melted into his arms, his cheek nuzzling absently into her hair but he held her for maybe five seconds too long; time enough for reality to seep back in. She stilled in his arms and cleared her throat awkwardly as he slowly pulled away from her and they continued walking. Ben resisted the urge to grab her hand. They spoke simultaneously.</p>
<p>“You said you’d wait. I don’t want to—”</p>
<p>“After today—” </p>
<p>“This is the last date,” Rey barrelled on, eyes on the path in front of her. “We’re so close to the end. You won’t be trapped by your promise to help me. We won’t be working <em> together.” </em> </p>
<p>Ben pulled at Rey’s upper arm, swinging her around; he caught her other arm before she crashed into him and he captured her bright eyes with his. A rumble of amusement escaped his chest. </p>
<p>“Amazing,” he smiled. “Impressive even. Every word of what you just said was wrong.” Rey’s eyebrows quirked up. “We’re nowhere near the end. I’ve never felt trapped when I’m with you.” His voice fell to a low roll. “And this will not be our last date.”</p>
<p>They stood beneath the entrance gate, the business sign attached above it in large wooden letters: <em> Hux U-Cut Christmas Tree Farm. </em> Rey rocked on her toes and swayed into Ben, licking her lips, but he quirked his head up and away, teasing her by denying her a kiss. </p>
<p>“I used to know a guy named Hux,” Ben said absently as Rey whined under her breath, rubbing her knees together. “Total asshole. He was in the legal department with me at First Order. He left a few years ago. I guess he quit law and opened a Christmas tree farm?”</p>
<p>“He did indeed,” a crisp British voice cut in, and Rey and Ben turned to see a man with red hair and beard sauntering up to them, clad a crisp plaid button-up over blue jeans flecked with wood chips. “I see <em> you </em>finally made it out, Solo,” he said, handing Ben a hacksaw and then clapping Ben firmly on his other arm. “Took you long enough. And careful with that, it’s not a toy,” he said, gesturing at the implement and Ben’s lips pursed in annoyance as he held the hacksaw gingerly away from his body.</p>
<p>Rey laughed awkwardly. <em> “Literally every person </em>we’ve encountered this week,” she chuckled, mostly to herself. When neither man said anything, she interjected into their awkward silence. “So! It appears you two already know each other.” Her small hand tapped her chest lightly. “I’m Rey Niima, from City Hall, here for the small business holiday promotion… You must be Mr. Hux?” </p>
<p>“Armitage, please,” he instructed, shaking her hand before returning to giving Ben the side-eye. “Solo, I never thought I’d see you enjoying fresh air. On a weekday no less.” </p>
<p>Frustration and <em> envy </em> clogged Ben’s throat; he couldn’t respond right away. Hux had escaped Snoke’s clutches years ago and Ben didn’t know if he hated the bastard for his good fortune or hated himself for not figuring out how Hux had done it.</p>
<p>“So how <em> did </em>you do it?” Ben snarled, making his choice, running his hand down Rey’s arm as he glared at Hux. “How’d you get away from Snoke?”</p>
<p>Hux grunted, a disdainful chuckle and he looked from Ben back to Rey, and then meaningfully back at Ben. “I met someone,” he stated, matter-of-fact.</p>
<p>“You what?” Ben’s disbelief was evident.</p>
<p>“I met someone,” he repeated as if Ben was an especially stupid person, his air of confident superiority grating yet measured, as if he was doing Ben a kindness. </p>
<p>Ben wobbled, off balance. “I don’t get it.”  </p>
<p>Hux looked to the sky, his hands on his hips. “Only because I promised her I’d tell you,” he muttered to himself. </p>
<p>Moving to lean back on the nearby fence, Hux folded one long leg up on the middle rail, huffed out a breath, and began. “It had been one of the bad days. Snoke kept me late, piled on the threats, and… it was my mother’s birthday.” Hux’s bright green eyes blazed with the memory. “I’d meant to have dinner with her, but Snoke dashed those plans. I wanted to take her a gift and managed to find a candy store still open—it was almost nine at night—and the owner hadn’t closed up shop.” He shrugged, an awkward twitch of his firmly set shoulders. “Serendipity, really. Finding a person worth living for, right when I needed her most.” His long, pale fingers contemplatively stroking his beard, the red-gold highlights glinting in the winter sunlight. “And from what I understand,” Hux looked intently at Rey’s befuddled face, “you are similarly fortuitous.”</p>
<p>Ben shook his head, dumbfounded. “The owner of a candy store?” He felt at least three steps behind wherever Hux was leading him.  </p>
<p>“Well, that’s wonderful,” declared Rey, a little stiffly. “Glad to know you have found your—special person.” Her cheeks were pink under Armitage Hux’s careful scrutiny and suggestive tone.</p>
<p>“What candy store?” Ben asked, a croak of realization cracking his voice. “Coruscandyland? Is Rose Tico your girlfriend?” </p>
<p>Hux raised an eyebrow. “You always do get there eventually, don’t you, Solo? Though I must correct you slightly. She’s my fiancée, not merely my girlfriend, though I was honored to call her such for a time.” He again peered meaningfully in Rey’s direction. “It’s remarkable what having the right person in one’s life can do for one’s constitution. And from what Rose tells me—”</p>
<p>“Hux,” Ben interjected. “You can tell Rose we’re dating.” He turned to Rey. “At least, we will be, if I have anything to say about it.” He gripped Rey’s green mitten in one hand and the hacksaw in the other as she nodded vigorously. “Good. Now that’s settled, let’s go find your tree, sweetheart.”  </p>
<p>💚</p>
<p>They wandered through the lot, heading deeper and deeper into the forest of living Christmas trees. Mulling over Hux’s words distracted Ben from helping Rey with the selection. But it was difficult to care about finding a tree when couldn’t take his eyes off <em> her. </em></p>
<p>“This one’s perfect,” she said, stopping in front of a seven foot douglas fir, inhaling a deep lungful of its fresh, piney scent. “So full, so green, I just want—” she cut off as she looked over her shoulder at Ben. “Don’t think I’m weird,” she warned, her cute nose wrinkling.</p>
<p>“Um—” Ben huffed. “What?”</p>
<p>Rey spread her arms, turned her face to the side, and gently fell forward, into the tree. Held up by its branches, she closed her eyes and let her arms drop slightly, curving around the trunk. </p>
<p>Ben blinked. “Are you—”</p>
<p>“Just say it,” Rey mumbled adorably, keeping her face clear of the nearest needled bough.</p>
<p>“You’re hugging the tree.” Ben deadpanned.     </p>
<p>Rey sighed dramatically. “Jealous, Ben? I should be glad you’re using your words, I guess.”</p>
<p>Poking her gently in the back, Ben got her to quirk her eye open. “You want to make me jealous?” he teased, “I won’t tell you if it’s working, but it’d be a shame if anything happened to your boyfriend here—” he raised the hacksaw into her line of sight with a little twist of his wrist. </p>
<p>Rey laughed, that bubbling sound Ben had become addicted to this past week. Feeling lighter than he had in a long time, he dropped the saw at the base of the tree and helped Rey to stand, the pine scent tingling his lips as he dropped kisses on her hairline and down her freckled nose.       </p>
<p>“Do you want to know,” she asked, keeping her lips away from his, her breath coming in short gasps as he kissed her face, “what the clue for this date will be?”</p>
<p>Ben moved his lips lightly across the soft skin of her cheek, to her ear, running his nose down its soft curve. “Not in the slightest,” he growled, sucking her soft, fleshy earlobe into his mouth. </p>
<p>“I’m, I’m, I’m going to tell you anyway.” With a pleased sigh, her head fell back and to the side, exposing a sliver of her pale throat that had been tucked away under the collar of the white winter coat he’d bought her. He pulled her closer; her vanilla cookie scent drifted up and he pressed his lips just below her jaw, sucking lightly, determined to distract her.</p>
<p>“Funny girl,” he whispered between kisses into the soft skin of her neck. “Thinking up jokes right now? My funny, hard-working scavenger girl.”</p>
<p>Her mittens pressed into his lower back, pulling him closer as she obstinately kept talking. “Are you <em> pining </em> for a <em> tree-mendous </em> way to <em> spruce </em> up your living room?” She shivered in Ben’s arms, breathy moans escaping her throat as one of his gloved hands slid down her chest to grip her waist and then squeeze her ass. “Don’t get— <em> oh, Ben, yes </em> —don’t get <em> sappy. Wood </em> you believe that all you <em> needles </em> is Hux!” </p>
<p>Ben blinked twice in quick succession, his eyebrows nearly meeting his hairline as he slid her jacket down one shoulder and licked a stripe down her throat. “That one line is doing a lot of work—” He gently bit down on the tender skin at the base of her neck, her happy hum rumbling through his lips before he asked, “If I just tell you now I get all the puns does that mean you won’t explain them to me later?”</p>
<p>Rey slotted her thigh on the other side of Ben’s and lowered her warm weight onto his waiting leg with a groan and began to rock. “Not a chance.” </p>
<p>🥤</p>
<p>“You did wonderfully, Rey,” Leia smiled as she clasped Rey’s free hand between both of hers. “The small business chamber was so impressed with the participation in the scavenger hunt, and so am I. You’ve got quite a future here at City Hall and I’m looking forward to seeing your career take off.”</p>
<p>Rey heaved a sigh of relief, face flushing with happiness. City Hall’s annual ugly sweater party was in full swing and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was blaring from an old stereo set up in the corner of City Hall’s high-ceilinged art deco lobby. </p>
<p>The contest was set to run for another ten days, but the project was complete: all the clues were up and posted, Maz, Chewie, Rose, and all the rest of the participating small business owners had reported an uptick in their normal holiday trade, and everyone involved sang Rey’s praises to the Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Organa had noticed, and had invited Rey to work on some of the most important items on her Mayoral agenda, noting that the <em> only </em> reason for the honor was the well-documented fiscal and public relations success of Rey’s brilliant holiday project.</p>
<p>“I wanted Ben on the project because I was afraid he’d go back to Snoke if he wasn’t kept busy,” Leia admitted. “Any other consideration was… secondary.” At her admission, Rey giggled and Leia fanned her face with her hand, joining in Rey’s laughter.</p>
<p>Rey sighed. “I really do like Ben.” She pulled gently at the collar of her sweater, thinking.</p>
<p>After they’d fooled around at the Christmas tree farm—as much fooling around as two people could do when fully dressed in jackets and jeans and in Ben’s case, thermal underwear—he’d dropped her off at home with plans to meet up at the ugly sweater party. There was a lot to celebrate. The successful project <em> and </em>the beginning of something with Ben.</p>
<p>The bells in Rey’s sweater tinkled as she leaned towards Leia, grinning. “Thank you, Mayor Organa.”</p>
<p>“Please dear, call me Leia,” invited the older woman with a shake of her head. “And oh, I <em> like </em> your sweater,” she added as she stepped over to the buffet, nodding approvingly at Rey’s red knit sweater, decorated with three felt penguins dancing in Santa hats topped with actual jingling bells. Gold sequins spelled out “All the Jingle Ladies” across her torso.</p>
<p>Rey was about to respond when a voice cut through the crowd, sharp and unmistakable. “It’s a pun. On the Beyoncé song. All the Single Ladies.” </p>
<p>Ben’s voice. </p>
<p>She turned. Ben was dressed in dark jeans and a black knit top. His hands stuffed in his pockets, he shrugged, waves of awkwardness rolling off his shoulders. </p>
<p>Rey looked at his sweater, decorated by a fluffy white sheep tangled in actual blinking red and green Christmas lights. Above the sheep, which was, inexplicably, wearing sunglasses, was a speech bubble that read, <em> Fleece Navidad. </em></p>
<p>Rey clapped her hands together, giggled, and bounced in place. “Because it’s a sheep!”</p>
<p>Slowly approaching her, Ben nodded and then ran his fingers through his smooth, dark hair when it fell out of place. “I get it, Rey.” </p>
<p>Rey shook her head, undeterred. “So the sweater says <em> Fleece </em> Navidad! It’s—”</p>
<p>He was standing in front of her now, so close. His voice was low, seductive. “It’s my sweater baby, you don’t need to explain—” But Rey was too carried away to stop. </p>
<p>“A pun! On Feliz Navidad, which is Spanish for Merry Christmas!”</p>
<p>“You know you’re right,” he murmured, grasping her shoulders and running his hands down her arms. “It <em> is </em>funnier when you explain it like that.” Though the room was warm with sweater-wearing bodies and Rey had imbibed two small cups of rum punch, she felt goosebumps bubble up, a shiver running down her spine, twinging in her belly, low and liquid. </p>
<p>“Told you,” she hummed dreamily. She was drowning in Ben’s honey-warm eyes. His large, warm hands held hers, and the rest of the party—the entire world—was melting away.   </p>
<p>“And here I thought you wouldn't have a good time working on the small business project,” Leia interrupted, back from the drinks table. “Looks like you're having a pretty great time to me.”</p>
<p>Rey saw Ben shoot Leia a playful look; he leaned over to kiss his mother’s cheek.</p>
<p>“Yes, yes, having a wonderful time,” he groused. </p>
<p>“Enjoy the party, you two.” Leia patted Ben’s arm as she left them alone. Rey giggled like a schoolgirl as Ben pulled her close. </p>
<p>Fingers flexing around her wrist, Ben pulled her out of the room and down the hall, spinning her into the first empty room he found, which happened to be a small supply closet. </p>
<p>He pressed his wide chest into her, trapping her between his body and the door. Breathing deep, he watched as her hands slid up his chest to circle his neck. She parted her lips in a pout and pulled ineffectually at his neck, stretching up on her tiptoes, desperate for a kiss. </p>
<p>“Ben,” she whined, rubbing her body against his as she bounced on her toes. His full, lush lips were <em> so close. </em>  </p>
<p>“Rey,” he replied slowly, “May I ask you a question?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” she breathed, slowing as he ran his nose along her hairline. </p>
<p>“Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?” </p>
<p>She pulled her head back sharply, smacking it into the door with a <em> bang. </em></p>
<p>“Ow! And yes, I'd love to.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Ben’s eyes were molten brown sugar as he placed his hand behind Rey’s head. “Our first real date.”</p>
<p><em> “What?” </em> Ben’s eyes widened at her outburst. “We’ve been on twelve dates. This party could count as a date. We’ve dated.” She blushed as he raised an eyebrow as she finished, sheepish. “We <em> are </em>dating.”</p>
<p>His hand slid from the back of her head to cup her cheek. “Damn right we are,” he growled, pulling her face towards his, capturing her lips in a greedy kiss.</p>
<p>She felt brave with his tongue in her mouth; running her hands down his sweater-covered chest, she circled his hips to grab his ass, pulling it towards her, groaning as the faint outline of a swiftly increasing erection pushed against her belly. </p>
<p>“Rey,” Ben warned, his hands cupping her jaw. “We’re not going to do this in a City Hall supply closet.”</p>
<p>“We’re not?” Rey nodded, teasing. </p>
<p>Mostly teasing, anyway.</p>
<p>“Okay, maybe just a little,” he conceded, the  bells on her sweater jingling merrily as he caressed the warm skin beneath.</p>
<p>🎇</p>
<p>Once they could decently exit the party, Ben drove Rey back to his apartment, grumbling under his breath about how he was losing his touch, how back in the day it never took a dozen dates to get a pretty girl to come back to his place. Rey, giddily distracting him with touches and tickles, promised him most sincerely that she was confident he was a terrifically smooth operator whose luck would most certainly improve in the future. </p>
<p>The very near future, if he had anything to say about it. </p>
<p>He kissed her hungrily, pulling her up in his arms, half carrying her to his bedroom, relief flooding through his system when she started removing his clothes, allowing him to work on hers. Finally, <em> finally, </em> they were on the same page.</p>
<p>When they lay down, skin to skin, the last puzzle piece clicking into place, the dazzling sensation that he was finally <em> home </em> overwhelmed him even more than Rey’s sweet cookie scent; he never wanted this to end. </p>
<p>Every touch they traded, every kiss exchanged, brought him one step closer to the realization that he wanted more than to be <em>dating</em> Rey. He wanted it all: her terrible paintings and her well-aimed snowballs; her steadfast dedication and her goofy sense of humor. He’d make all their gingerbread dreams come true.</p>
<p>All in good time.</p>
<p>His lips dragged against her collarbone. “So, girlfriend?”</p>
<p>Rey hummed happily. “I like the sound of that.”</p>
<p>“I agree.” He nuzzled near the back of her neck, sucking a bruise where it would be covered by her long hair as she sighed in pleasure, hips rolling as his hand ghosted down her thigh. “I'd still like to take you to dinner though.” She whined in wordless agreement. “And maybe—” He kissed the base of her throat. “Maybe—” He dragged his nose against her skin, dropping kisses until he reached her belly button. “Maybe—” One last series of downward kisses had Rey’s legs twitching before he paused; he swallowed thickly, watching her gasp and shiver beneath his hands.  <em> “I’ll </em> be in charge of planning our next twelve dates.”</p>
<p>“Oh, god, Ben,” Rey cried, tossing her head back, curling her spine as he held her hips still. “Anything you want, please just—”</p>
<p>“But whatever we do,” he breathed heavily, licking his lips as her fingers tangled in his hair. “I’ll be yours next Christmas, sweetheart. And on every date in between.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all so much for your comments &amp; kudos!  They are all so appreciated and never fail to make my day! As always, if anything additional needs to be tagged, please let me know. </p>
<p>Thanks again to the Reylo Hallmark group for being such great cheerleaders and supporters--when I'd written myself into a corner everyone's comments and encouragement really got me to power through and write! Kisses! </p>
<p>Please come say hi <a href="https://www.twitter.com/spoonfulofsalad">on twitter</a>! Happy Holidays!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Come say <a href="https://www.twitter.com/spoonfulofsalad">hi on twitter</a> and please <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/no_big_deal">click here</a> to subscribe!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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